Without Sasuke
by Yethri
Summary: What would it be like, in a two man squad without Sasuke?
1. Chapter 1: the beginning

**:P for those of you who have read this chapter earlier. this AN must be new :P but i was totally half asleep and forgot to write this as i posted it :O. well anyways... here is the first chapter... enjoy**

**I would like to request something of new readers to my fic. I would really appreciate it if you read at least two or three chapters before abandoning my fic as it does not really deviate from canon on this one… So please… read a few chapters and then decide if you would like to continue or discontinue reading. **

**I do not own Naruto, nor will I ever, Kishimoto does**

**For all of those who receive mail bout my update… I haven't changed anything plot wise on this chapter… just rephrased a lot… after a few months of writing… I can see how this chapter and maybe a few more are annoying…**

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Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 1: the beginning

It was a peaceful sunny day in Konoha as Team 7 waited for their new Jounin sensei to come and get them. Like all the other teams to graduate from the Academy that year, the 3 genin of Team 7 had been assigned to each other as a team and a Jounin sensei to guide and teach them. However, while the other Jounin had come and taken their teams, theirs had not even shown up.

"Oh man!" exclaimed Uzumaki Naruto, the loudmouthed dead last of the Academy graduates. "Where in the Hokage's name is Sensei?" He asked impatiently

"Why so impatient Dobe?" asked Uchiha Sasuke, the number one rookie of the year. "Can't wait to get yourself killed?" he asked with a smirk.

"Teme!" screamed Naruto. "I just want him to hurry up so I can start training to become Hokage."

"Hmm." Replied Sasuke. "And pigs will fly."

Naruto was about to give Sasuke a piece of his fist when the remaining member of the 3 man cell spoke.

"Naruto! Stop disturbing Sasuke-kun and go train or something. Kami-sama knows you need it!"

Haruno Sakura was the smartest genin in their batch, getting the highest marks in the written portions of the exam while scoring average in other departments. On the other hand Sasuke had gotten the overall highest marks and was thus named the number one rookie of the year.

Naruto stood stunned for a while at the girl's words before lowering his head and mumbling out a "Sakura-chan."

Though it hurt him to hear her say that out loud, he knew she was right. He had gotten the lowest results of all and the only reason he had graduated to genin was because of that incident.

Naruto pulled himself together and walked over to the farthest seat from the other two where he sat down and started recalling the events of the previous night. He ran through the fine details of the events starting from his use of Oiroke no Jutsu in order to knock out the Hokage, to his theft of the forbidden scroll, his learning of the Kagebunshin no Jutsu and finally to Mizuki's apprehension.

He personally considered himself lucky to have taught himself the Kagebunshin no Jutsu in one night and also to have been able to produce so many flawless clones, though he had wondered where he had gotten that chakra from. He himself understood that it had been the mass numbers that had gained him victory over Mizuki and not his battle skills. He shuddered at the thought of what would have happened had he not been able to make so many clones.

He hadn't learned much else that night, apart from the revelation of his tenant who resided inside the seal on his belly, and to make things worse he had even lost the small scroll he had copied some of the other forbidden Jutsu to. Naruto's eyes widened, there was always a reason for things to be forbidden and he recalled the Sandaime had been very forceful in asking him not to teach the Kagebunshin to anyone. That mean that if anyone else found the scroll and the jutsus leaked out, the Sandaime would know exactly who to blame for it. He needed to find that scroll as soon as possible. Now if only he could be at two places at once.

The answer struck him like a thunderbolt from Kami himself. Of course! The Kagebunshin! But how would he perform the technique without it being seen by both Sakura and Sasuke? It took him only a minute of thinking before the blonde boy got frustrated. After all, he wasn't known for his logical skills. He walked over to the window hoping some fresh air would help. He leaned over the window sill and looked over towards the forest where he had hidden the scroll. If only he could find a way to create the clones. Naruto sighed and stood up only to bang his head on the raised window and fall all the way to the ground. Both his teammates saw him fall and they shook their heads in disbelief. All had gone according to his plan.

Moments later, the blonde boy returned to the classroom, scratching the back of his head and grinning sheepishly as he entered. The antics of the dead last caused the number one rookie of the year to roll his eyes. How in a thousand years had that Dobe managed to graduate? However Sakura noticed something about the dead last that Sasuke didn't. Despite the large cloud that had formed on Naruto's impact on the ground, there seemed to be not even one speck of dirt on his body except his feet on which she would have expected even him to land on. Yet, Sakura decided to let it pass this one time. After all, what could a dobe possess that could be even remotely interesting to her. Naruto calmly walked over to his seat in the far corner of the table and sat in anticipation of his new sensei.

Another hour had passed and there had still been no sign of their sensei. Both Sasuke and Sakura had fallen asleep due to the pure boredom of the hour spent, Sasuke in his usual evil gaze pose and Sakura face towards her crush. Naruto had had it. This sensei thought he could treat them any way he wanted due to them being mere genin. But he was wrong and Naruto would make sure he found out the hard way. A grin crossed his face and he dragged a desk closer to the door.

The soft sound of the desk gently dragging on the floor woke Sakura, who was never a heavy sleeper. She opened her eyes just in time to see the orange clad boy climbing onto the desk. Sakura stifled a yawn as she sat up and stretched.

"Naruto? What do you think you are doing?" she asked.

A grinning face glanced back to her as he wedged a dusty eraser into the partially opened door. "A little payback for keeping us waiting for so long."

Sakura looked at him quizzically as he got off and placed the desk in its original position.

"Do you think it will work? He is a Jounin after all." She said though her inner self screamed at her to join in on the prank.

Naruto just shrugged. "Who knows? It's worth a try though." He said.

Naruto felt a slight tingling in the back of his brain as a clone of his dispelled. Though he had already experienced a wave of chakra exhausted dispels, it was not something he had gotten used to. Yet, this last dispel, had not been due to chakra exhaustion, but rather due to being bitten by a snake as the clone had accidentally stepped on it. It was an unusual experience for him, to feel exactly what the clone felt as it 'died'. However, like the last wave of dispelling, this had also taught Naruto a lot about the Jutsu and the possible reasons for it being forbidden.

Unlike the normal clone jutsu he knew of, each shadow clone required a lot of chakra from the user to create. On top of that, the technique created solid bodies that could interact and speak however he wanted them to. These clones could also go far from their creator and still stay intact. The disadvantage was that it took one blow, even a nonfatal one, to dispel the technique. But, it did transfer all the experiences the clone had back to the user and this information would be deadly in large amounts. However, the possibilities of usage for this technique would be endless. He would need to find out more from his sensei when he met him about this forbidden technique.

Speak of the devil, he thought. Here comes the lazy guy right now. The footsteps came closer and their first glimpse of their sensei was his hand coming through the slightly ajar door. Both Naruto's and Sakura's eyes darted to the duster wedged, both of them silently wishing for their sensei to fall for the little trick. A face appeared from the other side as the silver haired man poked his head through the door before opening it any further causing the duster to fall straight on his head. Naruto immediately burst out into laughter leaving an agape Sakura and a still sleeping Sasuke, who stirred at the amount of noise Naruto was making. Inner Sakura immediately jumped up with a shout of victory at the success of the small prank while Sakura herself was wondering if this was the skill of a Jounin.

The masked face raised a quizzical eyebrow at the rolling ball of orange on the floor and Sakura struggled to speak.

"G-g-gomen sensei. It was all his idea."

Sakura was cut off short by a waving hand.

"My first impression of you, Is that I do not like you. However, I will still give you a chance at becoming ninja. If you are interested, meet me up on the roof in 5 minutes."

If it were possible for someone to see rage, the whole of Konoha would see it rolling of the academy's rooftops in waves. Needless to say, Sakura was very pissed. It had been bad enough that she had had to wake Sasuke up to come to the roof ending in him giving her a cold stare as he stormed off, but Naruto had seemingly disappeared on his way up. The Jounin seemed the least bothered with the fact that one of the 3 were missing, busying himself with a book that was labeled Icha Icha. Sakura had seen one of those books at her place once when she had been cleaning her dad's closet and her knowing exactly what that book contained did nothing to calm her rage. She also noted that Sasuke was trying to snatch a few winks in the meantime as well.

The silver haired Jounin finally spoke. "Well, we've been here for 5 minutes already. If your teammate is not here in 5 more minutes then the 3 of you are going back to the academy."

This woke up the nodding off Sasuke who immediately jumped up, furious.

"What?" he exclaimed. "YOU are going to send ME, the number one rookie of Konoha BACK to the academy just because the dead last of our batch chickened out?"

"Yup" replied the Jounin. "Each of you is part of a 3 man cell. And as such you are a team. And without your teammate, neither of you are going any further." He said, not even bothering to take his lone eye off his book.

The color literally drained from Sakura's face. Another year at the academy. She would have no problems graduating again yet the chances of being put on Sasuke's team again, was slim to none. She had considered herself very lucky this time around.

Sasuke scoffed and crossed his arms across his chest. "No way that is going to happen. I am an invaluable asset to Konoha and there is no way that the Hokage would let me go into the academy for another year. He will put me in another team and send another weakling to the academy. Maybe that fat Akimichi or that stuttering Hyuuga girl."

The statement the Uchiha made got a reaction from both other occupants of the roof. The Jounin's eye had left the page of the book and was rested on the boy in front of him and Sakura was literally in shock. She had come to know Hinata from the academy class and had grown to like the gentle and caring Hyuuga. Sakura had no doubt that once Hinata got over her lack of self confidence that she would be the number one Kunoichi of their age. She had never thought Sasuke would think of Hinata like that. Her opinion of the cool and mysterious Uchiha pegged down one notch.

Sakura was about to raise the question of why Sasuke thought them weaklings when the exit to the roof flew open to reveal a panting Naruto. The look of relief flashed across her face as he slowly walked over to him. None of the 3 genin noticed the Jounin lift his headband across the left eye for a second. "Okay. It's getting late already so let's get this over with fast. I want you to introduce yourselves. Likes, dislikes and ambitions. Let's start with the latecomer."

Naruto winced as the Jounin looked at him in eagerness. He had been found out, though he had no clue how, that he was a clone. The quick meeting line was an overly obvious hint. Naruto was about to oblige the Jounin when Sakura spoke out.

"Wait. You want us to introduce ourselves while we know nothing about you?" she said. "How about you give us an example?"

The Jounin sighed audibly. "Fine fine. My name is Hatake Kakashi. My likes are reading literature."

Kakashi could have sworn that he had heard Sakura scoff at that statement.

"My dislikes are people who are too full of themselves and I have no ambition. Blondie, continue." Kakashi sighed audibly once more.

In truth he had not come with the intention of giving them any information apart from his name, but the appearance of a Kagebunshin instead of one of his students had put an unexpected twist in his plans. He couldn't help but smile as Naruto stood up to speak. The boy had gotten the hint after all. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as they say after all.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I love Ramen and I hate the 3 minutes it takes for the ramen to be prepared. My ambition is to become Hokage."

As soon as he sat down, he received an appraising look from Kakashi as well as an odd one from Sakura. He sounds just like Sensei when we were young, thought Kakashi with a smile. Sakura meanwhile was astonished at how calmly and quickly he had given the information and at the same time fail to confess his love for her. However she decided to ask Naruto later as Kakashi turned to her.

"Ok. Pinky. You're next."

Sakura rolled her eyes at the nickname Kakashi had called her, but let it go considering the strange occurrences of the day so far.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. My likes are *glance towards Sasuke followed by a blush*. My ambitions are *another glance towards Sasuke followed by another blush* and my dislikes are those who are not the people they seem to be."

Sakura was sure she saw a brief flash of hurt pass through Naruto at her mention of dislikes and decided to add it to her list of Ask Naruto's for later to ask him why. After all, she couldn't afford to miss hearing Sasuke's introduction.

Kakashi barely raised his eyes from his literature before he said one word.

"Uchiha."

The Uchiha stood up and put his hands in his pockets before continuing. "Uchiha Sasuke. I like power and people that possess power. I dislike weaklings and those that get in my way. My ambition is the revival of my clan and to kill a certain someone."

Great, thought Kakashi, an avenger much like myself when I was younger. He saw that Naruto was not paying much attention to Sasuke anymore but was concentrating on him. Sakura meanwhile was in dreamland, imagining Sasuke reviving his clan with her by his side.

Kakashi's words, however, brought her out of her daydream.

"Okay. I have to go and catch up with a friend. So I want you to meet me at training ground number 4 at 8 o'clock in the morning. Sharp. And don't have breakfast or you'll throw up." He then poofed away in a cloud of smoke before either of the genin could say anything any further.

Naruto was the first one to recover from the sudden shock of abandonment, scratching his head before saying.

"Well, it seems we are done here. So I'll be going. Ja!"

Sakura could barely manage a nod before the orange ball of energy jumped from rooftop to rooftop going in the general direction of the Konoha village square. Sakura didn't really care, now that it was only her and Sasuke on the rooftop of the Academy. The perfect chance for her to get her first kiss. But somehow, she just didn't want it that day. Instead, she just walked off towards the stairs with her hand on her head as if she had developed a sudden headache. All she knew was that Ino would have a laugh when she finally heard the story.

Things could not be peachier for Sasuke. The dobe was gone, so was the fangirl. Both of them out of his way. He hoped that they would stay that way through out their time as a team. He had one final whisper before he jumped off much like Naruto.

"Don't get in my way. Or else."

Getting to the forest had been easy for Naruto. Once he had gotten out of that classroom, things had been a piece of cake. However finding the exact tree the last clone had dropped the scroll near as difficult in a forest of very similar trees and had taken a lot of time. Luckily, his plan of sending a clone made from the last dredges of his chakra to the meeting with his sensei had worked and he knew everything that had happened in the meeting as if he had been there himself.

However, he still had no clue how Kakashi had discerned him from his clone so easily. And there was also the question of where he had disappeared to as soon as the meeting had been finished. The answer to his question was standing in front of him with the scroll in his hand.

"Ah, Naruto-kun. How nice to see you in person. What are you doing inside a forest? Looking for something?" asked Kakashi as he hefted the scroll, tossing it a few times in to the air.

Naruto scratched his head. It was apparent that he had been found out once again. This Jounin is something else, thought Naruto.

"I know what this scroll is Naruto-kun." Said Kakashi, looking down at the blond boy. "I hope you do what's right with this." Finished the Jounin as he handed the scroll back to Naruto.

The blond looked at Kakashi for a second not sure if he was joking. The Jounin was handing him the scroll, fully knowing what it contained and was still trusting him?

Kakashi spoke as soon as Naruto had taken the scroll. "Since you are here, and who I met was a Kagebunshin. I am assuming that you already know of the information gathering ability of the technique." The boy nodded and Kakashi continued.

"What is interesting is that everything the Kagebunshin learns is also learned by the user once the clone is dispelled. However, large amounts of information can overload ones brain and put them in a state of coma or outright kill them."

Naruto looked at the Jounin, not sure where the silver haired man was taking this lecture.

"My point is. You have a lot to catch up on, knowledge wise, and training wise. Maybe it is best to use the Kagebunshin to catch up."

It made sense really. It would save him time than relearning everything on his own.

"But, Remember. It only applies to your knowledge and familiarity with jutsu. Your physical abilities will not be transferred. So you will have to work on them by yourself. I suggest you start with chakra training. You do need to learn not to waste so much chakra creating a clone."

Naruto's eyes widened. So that's how Kakashi had figured out that it was a clone. The release of chakra combined with the small amount left in the clone would be abnormal for someone who had created hundreds a few nights ago.

Kakashi smiled at the boy. "Remember our meeting tomorrow and don't tire yourself out." He said before disappearing in a cloud of smoke after giving him the trademark Kakashi goodbye wave.

Naruto stood still for a moment before starting off towards the Hokage tower. He needed to give the old man the scroll and besides, he had no idea where else to get help on chakra control.

On the other side of town, Sakura was having one of her worst days. The first thing she had done once the meeting had ended had been to visit her childhood best friend to tell her about the events of the day. It was Ino's reaction that Sakura had not liked. Ino had been flabbergasted. She had not known what to think when Sakura had told her the story. The look that Sakura had given her when she had told her the story meant that it was something more than an odd occurrence for her friend and being a fellow Uchiha fan girl, Ino had decided to try and lighten up the mood.

"Hehe. Maybe you should give up on Sasuke-kun, Sakura. After all, that was probably your only chance to get ahead of me."

The joke had not really been a joke for Sakura and the rest of the time between them had been spent in awkward silence before Sakura had gone home.

All of this, starting from the time they waited for their sensei, had basically ruined her day and Sakura had gone to bed without having dinner. The thoughts had kept running riot inside her head and had made her not want to do anything. Even now, they were preventing her from falling asleep and she needed her beauty sleep.

There was a slight knock on her door and Sakura glanced to see her mother poke her head through the door.

"Are you okay sweetheart? You haven't had your dinner tonight." Asked the pink haired woman.

"No mom. I don't really feel like eating tonight." Said Sakura as she turned away once again.

"Are you on another diet again?" asked Haruno Sayaki hoping to lighten the mood but decided to probe again once she got no response from her daughter. "Want to talk about it darling? Maybe it will help."

Sakura thought about it for a second. She had gone to Ino hoping for some advice on it and had gotten none even though Ino was considered an expert at giving advice to girls her age. Might as well try this she thought. It couldn't become any worse.

Sakura told her mother everything that had happened, going into detail and voicing her questions where she was confused and needed answers. There was a momentary silence after Sakura had finished speaking before her mother spoke.

"Naruto is the boy in orange right?"

Sakura nodded and saw her mother's eyes fall in sadness.

"From what I know of him, he has suffered a very hard past Sakura-chan. That reason that he is so loud and obnoxious is to cover his suffering up. It is the only way that he can gain some attention. I feel that the boy you saw today is a glimpse of who Naruto truly is beneath the act."

The tears glistening in Sayaki's eyes made Sakura wonder what would cause her mother to cry.

"Surely his past is not harder than Sasuke-kun's. Naruto never had to see his family die."

Sayaki looked at Sakura.

"True. Naruto never had to see them die."

There was a slight pause before Sayaki continued.

"Both of them have very different pasts Sakura."

Sayaki only shortened her daughter's name when she was sad. That was the only time she shortened anyone's name.

"One who has had love, has lost it, and does not want it again and another who has never had love and wants it but I do not think he will ever get the love that he deserves."

Sakura frowned at the statement her mother had made.

"Don't worry mom. I will make sure Sasuke-kun gets the love that he deserves." She said smiling.

Sayaki sighed inwardly and stood up, giving Sakura a warm smile.

"I'm sure you will get whatever you set your mind to sweetheart. But at all times, keep an open mind and an open heart. Then you will understand what I am talking about. For now, go to sleep. You have to meet your team tomorrow, and you will need to get as strong as you can for when he will need you."

Sayaki bent over and gave her a kiss before walking out the room, the tears finally falling from her eyes. There was a boy, a very needy boy, in front of her that needed love, and again there was nothing she could do. If only you knew his burden, Sakura-chan, and the sacrifice he has made for the whole village. Then you would love him too.

**Yayy! my first chap of my first story is done! though i got one more story coming up soon and lots of chaps for this one XD**

**REVIEW! and keep me updated on my flaws and plusses! :D**


	2. Chapter 2: Survival Training

Okay. :D thanks for the great reviews. Ummm yeah… a few AU points in the last… but more in this and in the coming ones… I always found it funny that Kishimoto concentrated a lot on Narutos and Sasukes family yet not Sakuras. Its not as if she doesn't play an important role in the manga.

Okay… on to story…

And no… I do not own the original Naruto series nor its characters.

11/10/10 – layout changed to make things easier to read :D but no plot change

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Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 2: Survival Training

Sakura's alarm brought her out of her restless sleep at exactly 6 am. She silently cursed herself for setting it so early but it was the beginning of her ninja career and she wanted to look her best for it. She lazily got up and went to the bathroom. She spent half an hour in the shower and another full hour doing her hair before she went downstairs to say bye to her mom. However it was Sayaki who saw Sakura first.

"Hey. I made breakfast for you," said Sayaki as she showed a plate full of scrambled eggs and toast to her daughter.

"Mom, Kakashi-sensei said not to have breakfast before our meeting." Said Sakura as she looked at the plate in front of her.

Though Kakashi had told them not to have breakfast the sight of her favorite breakfast made her want to have some.

"Oh." Said Sayaki. "Not even a little? I'm sure your sensei will not mind."

Sakura shrugged. Guess it wouldn't hurt to have just a little of that, she though as she sat down at the table. A couple of toasts later, Sakura decided she had had enough and that she should leave to the training ground before she became late.

To be honest, Sakura had not known where training ground 4 would be until she had seen a signpost that had pointed her in that direction. And when she arrived, she was surprised to see Sasuke already there leaning against a tree, his arms folded across his chest as usual. He spoke once she got a little closer.

"You're late."

Sakura faltered a little. She had never expected such a cold statement to come from him. Besides, she was the second to arrive, Kakashi and Naruto hadn't even shown up yet. There was no way the meeting was commencing without either of them. All she could do was mumble a swift sorry as she sat near a tree on the opposite side of the field. All she had wanted to do was to strike up a decent conversation with him and he had shot that plan to pieces seemingly effortlessly. However, it also gave her time to think about what her mother had said the previous night.

Sakura knew of the Uchiha massacre a few years back. The whole village knew of it. She knew that every single member of his clan had been killed by Sasuke's elder brother Itachi. Everyone except Sasuke himself. He had had a family. He had had love. And that was why he would want it right? Yet, her own justification did not sit well with her.

He had half of the total number of single girls in Konoha running after him. He could choose any of them and they would willingly give him everything he needed or wanted. Half of the village's adults felt sorry for him and would also do almost anything to help him. He could have all that love if he had wanted it. IF, Sakura realized. But he didn't want it.

Why?

What could he be so focused on that he would ignore the people begging to love him? He had said that one of his goals was to kill a certain man.

Who? Itachi? If it was indeed itachi, Sasuke would need to be really strong. Was that why he needed power? Was he so focused on gaining that power to avenge his family that he didn't want anything else than that power?

There were so many questions she wanted to ask, so many answers that she needed in order to figure out the riddle that her mother had implanted in her mind last night. It was during this train of though that the orange figure of Naruto caught her eye as he ran into the field.

Naruto looked as if he had had a panic attack, looking everywhere fervently. "Is training over? Am I too late?" he asked giving her a worried look.

"No. Sensei hasn't arrived yet. We're waiting for him." Replied the girl.

She saw Naruto relax visibly and crumple next to a tree a decent distance away from her. He seemed exhausted to her, like he had not had a proper night of sleep.

"Are you ok? You look exhausted." Said Sakura to the blonde boy causing Naruto to look up.

He looked at her curiously for a second and spoke when Sakura raised an eyebrow. "No yelling at me for being late? No pounding on my head today?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No not today. Don't really feel like it."

Naruto just shrugged.

"I was up late training last night and I passed out. Woke up a few minutes ago and ran here." He said as he leant back into the tree, massaging his sore legs and arms.

"Naruto!" exclaimed Sakura as she sat upright. "That's chakra exhaustion! Its dangerous, you should go see a doctor!"

"I'm fine Sakura-chan," he said.

"No, it's not okay! You might have damaged your chakra coils! You have to go see one Naruto!" she yelled.

"The dobe stays." Said a deeper voice as Sakura turned to see Sasuke looking at them. "I don't want to get sent back to the academy because of him being absent."

That was the second time during the same hour that she had heard such a cold statement from Sasuke. Naruto could be in a life threatening situation or even career threatening if he didn't get it treated and Sasuke was forcing him to stay. She was about to speak up when Naruto spoke.

"The Teme is right Sakura-chan. If it were only my career at risk I would have gone. But it's also both of yours, and I will stay so that you can have a chance. If it will make you happy I won't use any chakra till I go to the hospital."

Sakura found herself seeing him in a new light. No longer the loud and abrasive boy he was, but the person who would risk his life for his teammates. He was taking a risk, for the both of them, for their careers with no such concern for himself. If this was who Naruto was truly behind his façade, she decided that she could grow to like him with time.

"Fine." She growled. "No chakra at ALL. And I'm coming with you to the hospital."

Naruto sweat dropped. He had been asking her to go on dates for so long and all it took was for him to go to the hospital due to chakra exhaustion for her to come along. He wished he had thought of this sooner.

"It's ok Sakura-chan. I can go by myself."

In truth, he had been hoping not to go to the hospital. It wasn't his favorite place in Konoha for the way the majority of the doctors and nurses treated him, but he did need to see one. And now he didn't want Sakura to come along. He didn't want her to see how they treated him.

"No." she replied. "I'm coming. And if the two of you are not happy with it then you two can train alone."

Sakura had literally trapped Naruto. There was no point in him staying if it meant she wouldn't join and he would still have to go to the hospital.

"Ok, Sakura-chan. You can come with me." He said, finally giving in.

Sakura gave him a thin triumphant smile which he tried to return to the best of his ability.

It was at that specific moment that Kakashi decided to appear in his trademark puff of smoke. (Sorry. I just think he has a lot of trademarks)

"Good. You're all here." He said eyeing each and every one of them. "Since today is our first day as a team. We are not going to be doing any missions or training."

He paused when he saw the confused look Sakura was giving him. Naruto seemed like he would nod off again any second. Sasuke wore the same expression he always wore.

"Today, we are going to do your final test before becoming a genin team."

This last sentence got the reaction Kakashi had wanted from all three of his students. Sakura and Naruto jumped to their feet with screams of "what?" while Sasuke glared at him.

Kakashi dropped to the ground from his position on the tree and walked over to them.

"Yare, yare. Did Iruka not tell you about the final test? The test with a success rate of 66%?"

66%? Thought Sakura.

"No. Iruka-sensei didn't tell us of such a test."

Kakashi scratched his chin. "Hmm… too bad for you. The ninja world is a tough place. A world of the survival of the fittest. And as such, we have a final test for all academy graduates to take, in order to weed out the weak and admit the strong."

Kakashi proceeded to take out two small bells from his pocket.

"Your test comprises of taking one of these bells for me. The one who has a bell at the end of the time allocated will be a genin from here on. The ones who don't get a bell will be sent back to the academy or if you chose so, you can quit as a ninja."

"But Kakashi-sensei, there are only two bells." Pointed out Naruto.

"Yup, you are right. It is to ensure that at least one of you three will get sent back to the academy."

Kakashi took out a small timer and placed it on a rock in front of the 3 genin.

"Timer is set till lunch. Those who have a bell at the end of the time will get lunch. Those who don't will not get lunch. Instead you will be tied to one of these posts and will have to watch me eat my lunch in front of you. You will be given a second opportunity at a bell after lunch. Now remember. I am a Jounin, and you genin have no chance of getting a bell from me without coming at me with intent to kill. You can begin when I say go. GO!"

Kakashi watched as all three of the genin disappeared into the trees. Kakashi smiled. It seemed that the information given to him about Naruto by his academy teachers were once again wrong. They had made it seem like he was the gung ho type to charge into everything head first. Yet again, the blonde boy had surprised him. Maybe he was maturing up a bit.

Sasuke jumped from a tree in front of him, heading straight towards Kakashi. A clone in a henge? Thought Kakashi. Maybe Naruto hasn't matured after all. It was when Sasuke started to form handseals that Kakashi knew it was not Naruto.

"Katon, Goukakyuu no Jutsu." Came the call as Kakashi barely managed to jump back to avoid the fireball.

What a guy, he thought, to be able to use the Goukakyuu at such a level at such a young age.

Sasuke gave Kakashi no time to think, immediately appearing to his side and aiming a side kick to Kakashi's face. Kakashi blocked the kick with his arm and caught Sasuke's punch with his other hand. Sasuke immediately rotated his body and swung his other leg at Kakashi again causing the Jounin to release Sasuke's hand to block the incoming leg.

This gave Sasuke the necessary momentum to turn himself upside down and try to grab one of the bells hung on Kakashi's belt. The Jounin's eyes widened as he saw the Uchiha taking a swipe at his bells and jumped back, Sasuke's fingers barely touching the strings and making them jingle.

Sasuke decided to give the Goukakyuu another chance and at such close range, he was sure he would get Kakashi. However, he was astonished to see that Kakashi had disappeared amidst the fire. He was sure that his fireball wasn't strong enough to incinerate a Jounin. So where could Kakashi have gone? Left? Right? Behind? Above? No! Below!

Sasuke barely managed to look down as a hand broke out of the ground and grabbed his ankle. Sasuke felt himself being pulled under until his whole body was underground except for his head.

"Doton, Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu" said Kakashi as he stood behind Sasuke. "Good but not good enough. I wonder where your teammates are. Ah well. Time to go look for them."

Sasuke watched Kakashi walk away, furious that the Jounin had left him buried.

Meanwhile, Naruto had caught up with Sakura and the both of them had planned on how to get the bells from Kakashi. Sakura watched as Naruto jumped down into the clearing to wait for Kakashi by the tree they had started out from under. She decided that this would be the right time to recall what Naruto had said once the test had started.

"Sakura, this is the person that said that he would fail you both had I not shown up for our introductory meeting. There is no way he would send one of us to the academy. This is a teamwork test. The bells, the lunches. They are just to turn us against each other. Think about it. There is no way one of us can take on a Jounin and come out on top."

It all made sense once he had said it. Why indeed create a 3-man cell if they were going to fail one anyways?

Sakura's senses tingled as she felt Kakashi's chakra signature come closer. She saw him walk up to Naruto and speak.

"So, how about we cut the act Naruto? We both know you are smarter than you look." Naruto shrugged, his hands in his pockets.

"Between the both of us sure. But I consider it my trump card to use against the other genin." He said with a slight smile.

"Alright." Conceded Kakashi. "But remember that this particular trump card will only work a total of once." Naruto nodded as he dashed at Kakashi his arm cocked back for a lethal punch.

Going full frontal eh? I wonder what you have planned, Naruto, thought Kakashi as he met Naruto's wild charge head on. The Jounin jumped up at the last second, causing Naruto to stumble at the sudden movement of his intended target. However the blonde boy recovered quickly, using both is hands to propel him towards a mid air Kakashi, lashing a few kicks out as he neared Kakashi. The mid air Jounin turned slightly in the air causing Naruto to barely miss landing a hit on him.

Naruto had just landed when Kakashi appeared at his side, aiming a mid height kick towards the blonde boys head, hoping Naruto would jump back to avoid it and fall straight into the trap that Kakashi had set up. However, it surprised Kakashi when Naruto ducked under his leg and swung a powerful uppercut aimed at his groin. Left with no move to make, Kakashi used the Kawarimi no Jutsu to transport him to safety and causing Naruto's fist to hit a log.

Naruto heard the sound of clapping and turned around to see Kakashi applauding him. "I'm impressed Naruto-kun. You almost had me there." Said Kakashi.

Naruto shook his head. "No. I wouldn't have managed to push you this far had you been going all out on me."

Kakashi nodded. "Want to try again?" he asked, pushing his hand into his pocket as he walked closer.

Naruto wobbled on his feet as he sat on the ground and waved his hand. "No. I'm out. My visions already fuzzy, I'm not sure I can even try to keep up with you anymore."

Kakashi watched as the orange clad boy lean back against the tree and close his eyes. Naruto had drastically improved overnight and Kakashi decide that this deserved him a little rest and one of the lunches that he had brought along with him. It was the least to say that Kakashi was happy with Naruto's effort.

Kakashi was walking over to Naruto when a sudden shadow fell over him. He managed to turn in time to see Sasuke complete the final handseal for the Goukakyuu and take in a deep breath. Kakashi barely had time to Kawarimi away before the fireball consumed the entire area around where he was standing. Kakashi paled the moment he had reappeared behind Sasuke. In his momentary panic, he had forgotten about Naruto and it may have very well cost the boy his life.

This had been the only team thus far to show such promise and it had been ruined already. Kakashi moved to knock out Sasuke and found that his hand had gone through the Uchiha. The scenery changed to show a battered and tired Naruto still leaning against the tree while the Uchiha had disappeared. A slight jingle of bells from behind him caused him to turn around.

His first reaction upon seeing Sakura happily jingling too bells was to grab at his belt to see if they were really missing.

"Genjutsu." He whispered as it dawned on him. "Since when?"

Sakura smiled. "Since you replaced yourself with the log to avoid Naruto's blow."

It made sense. He had made sure to spread logs through out the training ground, yet this particular one he had replaced with had seemed too close to the area the fighting had taken place in.

"So I take this was your doing, Sakura-chan?" he said, obviously pleased.

"Yup." Sakura replied, nodding happily. "Genjutsu is mine, but the plan was entirely his."

She said pointing at the boy leaning against the tree. "Sasuke?" inquired Kakashi.

Sakura looked downward rather dejectedly before speaking. "He said something about the both of us getting in his way and slowing him down. He thought he would be better off working alone."

Kakashi thought about it. If indeed Sasuke had co-operated with his teammates, this exercise would have been over much sooner than now. So it appeared that there was still one of the three that had not learned the lesson. He would have to report Sasuke's behavior to the Sandaime. To pass the Uchiha after he had declined to play as a team would be showing favoritism and would further boost the Uchiha's ego. And that, Kakashi nor the Hidden Village of the Leaves could not have.

"Alright. With the retrieval of the two bells from me, this test is over. Meet me at the posts we were at earlier, I need to go dig up our pet clan heir." He said before he poofed away leaving Naruto and Sakura alone.

"Well, we did it." Said Naruto as Sakura walked over.

"Yeah." She replied. "We wouldn't have if it had not been for you. Arigato, Naruto." She said and for the first time she saw a genuine smile from the boy.

"It was nothing Sakura-chan." He said as he took her hand and groggily got to his feet.

"I don't know." Said Sakura as they walked off towards the clearing. "Somehow I don't feel sad Sasuke-kun didn't co-operate with us. I mean we did offer to help."

Naruto could only nod at her statement. He was too exhausted to even think of making a witty comment about the Uchiha.

Naruto stumbled as they neared the posts and fell into Sakura causing both of them to topple to the ground. Naruto immediately tried to get up and off of the pink haired girl and fell to his side again. Sakura knew that Naruto had used up the last of his energy walking this far and that he could no longer walk any further. She bent down and hoisted his arm around her shoulder before glancing at Naruto and smiling.

"You know. Someone could claim that this was all an act you were faking so that you would get me to carry you to the posts."

Naruto looked at Sakura with a face of faked mild panic. "shhhh Sakura-chan. We don't want the whole world to know about my plan!" he said.

Sakura giggled at his antics and wondered how he managed to make light of every small situation that she would have felt depressed about. She knew she probably would have laughed had his voice not been shaky from so much exhaustion. They had barely reached the posts before Naruto slipped again causing him to hit his head on the wooden post and fall unconscious.

Sakura knew that Naruto had slipped deliberately, trying to relieve her of his load sooner than she would have liked to. The knock out, however, she believed had been part of his clumsiness with himself. Sakura pulled Naruto's head onto her lap and slowly untied his forehead protector. There was blood coming out of a possible cut on his forehead and she wanted to at least stem the blood flow. However, she had been astonished as the cut healed by itself and vanished leaving only a blood stain to show that there was even a cut there. The rustling of leaves alerted her to the entrance of Kakashi and Sasuke to the area.

"Is he dead?" asked the Uchiha with a smirk as he walked over and sat next to another post. Sakura glared at Sasuke, something that she had never imagined her being able to do towards him.

"No." she hissed, not wanting to say anything to the egotistical Uchiha.

"Alright, that's enough." Said Kakashi as he stepped in between the two genin.

"Sasuke, against the post." Said the Jounin as he laid a hand on the Uchiha's shoulder.

"Why me?" he yelled. "Why not one of them losers?"

"Well Sasuke-kun, Sakura managed to get one bell from me with Naruto's help. So she gets to eat. Naruto, well, you see he's pretty much out of it, so I can't tie him up or deny him the food." Said Kakashi as he tied Sasuke's arms around the post behind him.

It was easy to see the humiliation and anger in Sasuke's face as it happened.

"Alright Sakura, you know the rules. No feeding Sasuke till I come back from the Hokage. We will see who gets the remaining bell when I come back."

Sakura spoke as soon as Kakashi left.

"You do know this whole test was about teamwork right?" she said as she unpacked one of the bento boxes Kakashi had left her.

"If you had co-operated with us when we came to you, maybe you wouldn't be in that position."

Sasuke snorted.

"Why would I want to team up with you two weaklings? All you managed to get is one bell between the both of you. And look how he ended up." Sakura felt the anger rise up within her. True, Naruto had been worn out by the fight, yet he had fought already exhausted of his chakra and to pull it off they had gotten both bells. But, she wasn't going to tell Sasuke that, for if she did, then Kakashi's cover of having one of them go back to academy would be blown.

Sakura sat in silence and ate her bento, not wanting to even glance at the arrogant Uchiha that seemed to anger her as easily as Naruto had once upon a time. She was half way through when she realized that this lunch was the second chance at passing this test. She stopped eating and looked at the bento box. She already had a bell and wouldn't need as much chakra as she would have earlier to help Naruto and Sasuke. Yet, Sasuke would need the energy and chakra for what Kakashi has in store for them after the break. Besides, she had had a slight breakfast before she came and the other two hadn't.

Sakura glanced once more at Sasuke before taking a deep breath and held out the bento box towards him.

"Here. You can have the rest." She said.

"I don't need food." Said the Uchiha turning his head away.

"Stop being so hard headed. You will need the energy for the next test." She said as she stood up and walked closer to feed him.

Sasuke had had enough. They thought they could mock him for his failure. He would show them what a failure they were. As soon as Sakura was close enough, he lashed out with his foot and kicked the bento box away, spilling its remains. Sakura was irate.

"Why did you do that? That was good food!" she yelled.

"I am an Uchiha. The last remaining member of one of the most powerful clans in Konoha. We do not eat the leftovers from a commoner."

A commoner. So that's what Sasuke thought of her was it?

"Fine!" she yelled back. "Then this commoner is no longer going to do anything for you!" before she stormed off towards the farthest post from Sasuke and to Naruto.

There was a slight stirring from Naruto and Sakura's attention turned from the Uchiha to the blond boy. He opened his eyes to see Sakura looking at him with worry and Sasuke tied to a pole. Naruto managed to groan and sit up properly before he spoke.

"Is this a dream?" he said and heard Sakura giggle for the second time in the day.

"No it's not." She replied as she handed him the remaining bento box. He looked at her with a mischievous smile.

"I guess it's too much to ask if you would feed me?"

The pink haired girl smiled.

"Sorry. You are on your own on this one." She said.

Naruto laughed and she realized that his genuine laugh was much different than his faked one. It seemed more joyous than his previous ones.

"Okay, okay. I'll eat by myself then. Itadakimasu!" He said before digging in to the rice with gusto.

It wasn't until he had swallowed the first bit of rice that he noticed that Sakura's bento box had been spilt.

"Aren't you eating Sakura-chan?" he asked.

"I've already eaten, Naruto. I had half before the oh-so-mighty Uchiha kicked it away for offering it to him." She said with a slight growl.

"Well, since you already tried offering it to him, want to help me finish this? I don't think I'll be able to finish this myself." Even though they both knew it was a lie, Naruto felt immediately better as Sakura picked up the pair of fallen chopsticks and joined him. Though unknown to the two genin, there was a flash and the slight snigger of someone who had just attained priceless blackmail material.

The presence of this extra person did not go unknown to Hatake Kakashi and the Sandaime that were currently hidden inside a tree nearby though they decided to ignore it.

"I understand what you are saying Kakashi. If we keep Sasuke on the team, it further boosts his ego about him being the last Uchiha and being fawned over by the entire village. And not to mention the consequences it might have on his teammates and mission should he decide to go solo. I understand that you want to fail them." Said the Hokage.

"On the contrary Hokage-sama. I feel the other two would do very well on a team, any team for that matter. They both have the maturity and sense to adapt to each others styles and I feel they could be very influential if passed."

The Sandaime chuckled. "You know, this is very weird coming from a Jounin who has never passed a single team before due to their failure to work as a team." He said, causing Kakashi to scratch the back of his head sheepishly.

"Then there is the problem of their third member. I am sure you are aware that there are no more graduates from the academy."

The silver haired Jounin thought for just a minute before responding. "I was more thinking of Konoha's first two man cell."

The Sandaime's eyes widened. "Though the thought it very interesting Kakashi-kun, there is still the matter of the risks that they will be facing in the outside world. Not to mention their promotions. The Chuunin exam is a 3 man cell based exam."

"I understand Hokage-sama. That means I simply will have to prepare them so well that they can take on all odds for the next Chuunin exam. Which I believe is being held here. I'm sure you can do something to prevent them from eliminating teams with lesser numbers."

Sarutobi sighed. It was obvious that Kakashi had him trapped.

"Fine. I'll allow it. But it better not come and stab me in the back Kakashi." Said the Sandaime to which the Jounin nodded.

"Alright. Send Sasuke to me when you are done. I'll go inform the council about your decision. Though I'm pretty sure that they will try to make a team for him."

Kakashi nodded, and shunshined (I am not so sure if this is the correct way to use past tense on shunshin. :/) back to his team.

Naruto and Sakura had just finished their meal when Kakashi suddenly appeared behind Sasuke and untied him from the post. The Uchiha smirked and rubbed his sore arms.

"The Sandaime yell at you?" he asked, the confidence in his voice evident.

Kakashi just closed his eyes and sighed. "No. There is no way you can walk back to the academy while tied to a rooted post, is there?"

The statement mixed with the resulting furious expression from the Uchiha caused the other two on looking genin to burst into laughter, causing Sasuke to be infuriated even further.

"You can't do this to me! I am an Uchiha! One of the village's ninja elite! You need me!"

Kakashi nodded. "True, very true. You are from one of the village's elite clans."

This caused Sasuke to smile. They did need his skills and Sharingan after all.

"But doesn't mean we need you. Some of the villagers might consider you living royalty. But I do not want or need a soldier that does not take orders or someone who doesn't play as a team on my squad."

"Team? What team? Once you give me the strength and the power I need, I'll be better than any stinking team!" yelled the infuriated Uchiha.

"If a team is nothing. Then explain to me why two genin were able to take both the bells from me, a Jounin and a former ANBU captain? This test was all about teamwork! Each part of it was designed to pit you against your teammate, to see if any of you would sacrifice their own interests for the good of the team and their mission. A ninja that does not care about the mission is trash. But a ninja who does not care about the village or his team is lower than trash. Remember that!"

There was a momentary silence as Sasuke recovered from Kakashi's verbal offence. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he spoke.

"The shinobi council will hear of this offence! And you will come and beg me to let me teach you."

He said before he vanished from sight. Though arrogant, Kakashi could not deny that the kid was a genius.

"The bento box was also a test, right?" asked Sakura, finally voicing the question.

"Yes. It was. It was his second chance to make up for what he hadn't seen earlier. If you hadn't offered it to him, I would have had no right to fail him."

Naruto thought that it made sense. Anyone could be blamed for being blind once. Yet the one to refuse it a second time knowing what it was, would be refusing it for real.

"So, what happens to us now?" he said speaking his turn. "I thought all genin squads were 3 man cells?"

"They are. But the Sandaime has given me permission, permission to train Konoha's very first 2 man cell." Said the Jounin, smiling.

"What about the missions, sensei?" asked Sakura.

"We'll manage. Naruto's Kagebunshin should make up for the missing third person. And for the risks, well I guess the both of you just have to get stronger faster than everyone else. Now if there are no more questions, you two may go."

Sakura immediately shot up from her sitting position, her hand grabbing Narutos shirt and proceeding to drag him on the ground.

"Sakura-channnnn" he moaned.

"No buts Naruto. You are suffering from Chakra exhaustion. You Need to go see a doctor." Said the girl as she continued to drag him towards Konoha.

Finally it clicked with Kakashi. So that's why he didn't use a single clone or jutsu during the entire test. He was out of chakra. Impressive Naruto-kun. I would like to see what you would be capable of doing with full chakra capacity.

Sorry sorry for the really rushed ending. This chapter just has too many words in it… so my plans for the next half of this chapter (as I had originally planned) will appear at the top of the next chapter.

And I really would like to see your thoughts on the chuunin exam. Do you want me to keep it the same 3 tests as the manga? It may be difficult but I'll find a way. Or do you want me to change the second exam?

REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 3: training as a team

**Update!!! :P okay I admit I was rather careless with the clumping of conversations… but I rather hate having to use he said n she said…. So this chap I'll try something different… would like your comments on it…**

**Oh… n I'll be using the same exam format… I've found a 3 man temporary team that would be rather interesting to write.**

**N the wave arc…. My original writing does have it… so I will include it.. but I will also include my own mission…. That will come next chapter :P**

**To keep things short. This chapter will be basic introduction to their training schedule. So you know how they train. **

**Okayyy now on with the story!!**

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Without Sasuke

Chapter 3: Training

The sun had barely risen above the Horizon when Naruto woke up from his sleep. He glanced at his watch and figured that it must have broken or something. It had never failed to sound off before. He sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes. He had a lot planned for the day, and he needed to get started now if he wanted to finish most of it in time for his training with team 7.

He had been to the Hokage straight after his awkward visit to the hospital along with Sakura for some tips on taijutsu training. Naruto groaned as he remembered the hospital trip. Sakura had made him walk through the streets, intent on not letting him use any amount of chakra, and it had been obvious that she had seen the glares and the curses thrown at him. Worse, she had also seen both the doctors and nurses ignore him, claiming that they had much more urgent issues to look at than some minor case of chakra exhaustion. In the end, she had taken him to her mother. One of the only remaining medic-nins in the whole of Konoha.

However, the time after the hospital visit had allowed him to reflect on the survival exam and note that his taijutsu was below par. Par being Sasuke's taijutsu level. He knew he needed to improve on it but he also knew that the academy style of taijutsu did not suit him at all. The only option left for him, was to create his own taijutsu style. And that was why he had visited the Hokage, later that night. And though he didn't get any on developing his own style, he did get some tips on how to improve his speed and strength.

The old man, Kami bless his soul, had also given him a scroll that taught him two types of seals. A weight seal and a storage seal. The effects and how to use them had been written on the scroll along with the instructions. Though it seemed that Naruto needed to improve his calligraphy before he could use either seal. And as such, practicing calligraphy was the first thing on his agenda for the day.

Naruto decided he'd make 10 clones to help him. 4 to practice calligraphy along with him and the remaining 6 to work on his chakra control. What little of the tree walking exercise he had mastered had helped him with the clones he produced and he could now feel the difference in chakra drainage. Thus he decided it would be best if he mastered every aspect of it before attempting anything else and set his clones about it. He also set the clock right in front of him so that he'd be able to see the time pass by. The last thing he wanted to be was late for team training.

Sakura arrived at the bridge sharp at 12 pm and was surprised to see both Naruto and Kakashi already there. "Well this is a surprise." She said as she walked up to them.

Naruto nodded. "He was here earlier than I was. So I'm in doubt as to whether its really him."

This was Kakashi's cue to wave his hands in front of him. "No, no. it's me. I just thought since you are now a 2 man cell, that you will need all the time you can get with me." Said the Jounin, giving them his one eyed smile.

It was understood by both genin that they both needed to be stronger in order to make up for their missing teammate. Almost all shinobi teams were made up of either 3 members or more. That included the Chuunin and Jounin teams from the other shinobi nations as well. And if team 7 were to meet any of these teams they would be greatly outnumbered and there was where the extra training would come in.

"So what's our plan for today?" asked Sakura and in turn got an amused smile from Kakashi.

"Looks like the fan girl is ready to train without the object of her affection around anymore." Said the silver haired Jounin with a slight chuckle.

Sakura scoffed. "ex-fan girl." She stated. "The crush was pretty much, well, crushed when his attitude fell lower than mine." She said giving them a smile of her own at the pun. "Besides, I feel it is time for a little change in the way I live my life."

Kakashi nodded. "Okay, okay." He said. "I was thinking it would be best if we set up a daily schedule for the both of you before we moved on to anything else like missions. It is pretty apparent that you two need training more than the time you two spend with me. How much time can both of you devote to training?" he asked, gesturing to Sakura.

"I can devote my whole day. I would like to be home at night so I can spend some time with mom and also some time to myself." She said.

"Naruto?" asked Kakashi once she had finished.

"Its not like I have anyone waiting for me at my apartment or friends to hang out with." Said the boy and Sakura felt an immediate pang of sadness at his statement. She knew how hard it was for her to spend nights without her mother, whenever there was a crisis at the hospital. It was only due to Ino and her mother that Sakura had survived the nights. She couldn't even imagine what it was like to spend most of her time alone.

"hmm." Said Kakashi as he pondered on the information they had given him. "Okay. How about this? How about you two join up sometime in the morning. You two can decide the time amongst yourselves. You can train yourselves on whatever you like. And then at sharp 12 o'clock I will join you for our missions. We can have lunch together and continue our set amount of daily missions until nightfall. If you complete them all with spare time, I will teach you both something of your own choice."

The two genin mulled Kakashi's plan over for a minute. On one hand it meant that they both had to train with each other with no sort of guidance or help for half a day before he would join them with a scroll full of mission. Yet, it would also mean that if they did manage to complete the missions on time that they could get any sort of help or information from the Jounin. Sakura was the first to respond. "Okay. Fine with me." And Naruto just nodded.

Kakashi smiled. "Alright. You two can decide the time to meet later. For now, we have some missions to do." With that team 7 started the long and boring missions classified as the low D ranked missions. Though the two managed to complete the missions a few minutes before sunset, the both of them were too exhausted and sore to do any training. After all, it had been their first day of doing missions.

"Well. You two did great for rookie genin. And you even managed to finish before sunset. Now I am a man who does not like to go back on his word and since you two do not look like you can train any further I will give you both some advice." This perked up both of the panting genin's attentions. "Sakura, you have amazing chakra control, but your chakra capacity is below average for even a genin. Exhaust your chakra before you go to bed every night and you will see it grow gradually. Naruto, you have loads of chakra even for a Chuunin, yet your control is so bad that you're skill with chakra is mere academy level. Do not get me wrong, it's improved since yesterday but you still need to fine tune it. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to ask someone for help on an easier way to learn to control it."

Kakashi vanished before either of the two could ask further more about his advice. "What is up with him?" groaned Sakura as she rolled her eyes at Kakashi's behavior. "Why did we have to get stuck with him?"

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe he just wants us to know that we will not grow strong only on what he teaches us and that we need to improve ourselves. All I know is that no one else would have given us this chance to be a 2 man cell."

Sakura nodded and sighed. "Alright. I guess you are right. Well. I'm exhausted so I'm going to go home and sleep. See you tomorrow Naruto." Said Sakura as she stumbled towards her home, her legs too heavy to lift on her own. It was only when Naruto reached his apartment that he realized that they hadn't set a time to meet the next day. He would wake up early tomorrow and go find her. He just had no strength to move tonight. Needless to say, the young Jinchuuriki was asleep as soon as he hit the bed.

* * *

The next morning began abruptly for Naruto to the sound of someone knocking on his front door. He glanced at his clock and silently cursed whoever that had woken him up at 4 in the morning before pulling his pants on and walking to the door. The dreary eyed boy opened the door to find both Sakura and Sayaki standing at his doorstep.

"Good morning Naruto-kun." Greeted the elder Haruno cheerfully. "Did we wake you up?" she asked.

Naruto recovered fast, grinning before he scratched the back of his head. "Well, yeah, kind of. But since you are here why don't you come in?" he asked, opening the door and gesturing them in. "it isn't much compared to what you two are used to at your house but I tried to make it as homely as I could with my allowance."

Sakura glanced up as she entered and saw the blond boy slip a black t-shirt on. It was a bit weird to see him in any other color than orange but Sakura couldn't help but think that he looked good in black. It made him seem more mature. "Naruto." She called, getting his attention. "How come you don't wear that to missions? It is less visible in the dark you know."

"Well. To be honest, the jumpsuit was something given to me by one of the first people to accept me. Originally when I was a baby, so that he could differentiate me in the orphanage. I just stuck with the style ever since." He paused to look at Sakura before continuing. "Besides, you can't talk. You wear that bright red dress everyday. Maybe you should change it too."

Sayaki laughed at his comeback though Sakura went into deep thought. She had started wearing that dress sometime in her 2nd year in the Academy. A little after her crush on Sasuke started to develop. It was after that rumor that Sasuke liked girly girls more that she had worn it and started wearing her hair long. Maybe Naruto was right. Maybe it was time she changed it.

"Shall we?" asked Naruto. "After all, Kakashi-sensei did say we would need all the training we could get." Sakura nodded and followed Naruto outside. "I was thinking of a few laps around Konoha. You know, to increase our stamina. Since we kind of do get exhausted very easily." He said and Sayaki nodded.

"That's good thinking Naruto-kun. I know how early you two finished up yesterday and Sakura being someone obsessed with her femininity, albeit during her fan girl phase, hasn't quite developed the muscles a ninja requires." Continued Sayaki

There was no way Sakura could argue with that. She had indeed neglected her training, thinking that it would only be a hindrance to her chances of having Sasuke. And it was only now she realized what a mistake that had been. She wouldn't dare to think how she would turn out if she hadn't stopped fawning after the Uchiha.

Since neither Sakura nor Naruto were taking the initiative, Sayaki gave them a slight nudge. "so how about you two go run and I'll meet you on training ground 4 in say, half an hour?" the two genin nodded before disappearing from view as fast as they could.

* * *

Half an hour later, the two genin literally stumbled into the training grounds, both exhausted and aching to find Sayaki there already with a couple of packed bento boxes, waiting for them. She called out as soon as she saw them. "I brought you guys some breakfast." Said Sayaki. "Why don't you have them while you rest?"

The pair quickly ate their breakfast, intent on not wasting too much time that could be used to strengthen themselves, before moving on to chakra control exercises, Naruto using some clones to speed up his learning curve. It was Sakura's first time seeing the Kagebunshin used by the blonde boy as he preferred to do the missions just by himself. She didn't know why but he had said something about improving himself physically and she had let it go.

"my." Said Sayaki as she stepped up to her daughter. "the Kagebunshin. Its been a while since I saw this particular A rank jutsu."

"A rank?" echoed Sakura.

"yes." replied Sayaki. "it is a clone jutsu that produces solid clones that are as strong as the user himself. They have the same abilities as the user, both physically and jutsu wise. Guess Naruto isn't as weak as he looks."

Sakura could not help but stare in awe at Naruto's skill in the Kagebunshin. She could only imagine the amount of chakra he needed to use to form one yet the 10 that he was currently using. After all it was ninja basics that the more powerful a jutsu the larger amount of chakra or control it takes.

"Go Sakura-chan." Urged Sayaki. "you may not have his chakra, but it does not make you any less of a ninja. I'm sure he will be the first to say that."

Sakura nodded and ran off. True, she might not know the jutsu or have his huge chakra capacity, yet it did not mean she was any more incapable of doing the jutsus and the exercises he could. Plus it did help that she had more control over her small amount of chakra, which she decided needed to grow.

Naruto was halfway up the tree when the bark beneath his left foot crumbled and he fell off. He noticed that it was only then that Sakura had started even attempting the exercise. To his wonder and dismay, she managed to climb to the top of the tree on her first try, though she looked pretty drained from the effort. He made a mental note to ask her later.

After an hour of tree climbing, Sakura stopped and called Naruto over.

"what's wrong Sakura-chan?" he asked as he jogged over to the breathless girl.

"I'm out of chakra." She managed to say in between pants.

Naruto nodded. He remembered Kakashi saying that she had smaller chakra reserves and that she should grow them. "okay." Said the boy. "how about you rest for a while and then we can have a taijutsu spar. To see where our weaknesses lie."

"sure." Sakura replied.

"ano, Sakura-chan. How do you do the tree climbing exercise so easily?" said the blonde boy.

It seemed to Sakura as if Naruto had trouble asking her. She knew it was not because he looked down on her as a ninja. Being the dead last for their entire time in the academy, he knew that most were better than him at something. He seemed almost as if he was afraid of her reaction. The trip to the hospital flashed back to her mind. The glares and curses she was sure were thrown in his direction. So intense, so full of hatred that she feared they might have attacked him had she not been with him. Inside the hospital had been no different. Those glares were still there, yet here, they also denied him the treatment. All with a simple "I have more urgent matters to attend to." It was as if they did not care what happened to him.

"um, Sakura-chan?" came Naruto's voice bringing her back to the present. "I can go ask someone else if you have trouble explaining." He said. The sadness was evident in his voice.

"no, no Naruto." She said quickly. "the trick of the exercise is to find out the exact amount of chakra necessary to stick to the tree and to keep that amount gathered at the sole of your foot rather than trying to gather the amount for each step."

There was a loud thwack as Naruto slapped his head. No wonder he had found it so difficult to stick to the tree. He had always gathered the chakra and released it after his step had been taken instead of holding the chakra at his feet. "thanks Sakura-chan!" he yelled in her ear as he ran off, dispelling his current batch of clones and forming another.

* * *

10 minutes later, Naruto had gotten the hang of the tree climbing and was now facing of solely against Sakura in a one on one taijutsu only spar. Slow and deliberate, both genin took time in trying to figure out the opponents weakness and tried using it against them, both of them landing an equal amount of hits. Naruto's fully offensive taijutsu had a lot of flaws in it, leaving him open to pre-emptive attacks and counter attacks. Sakura's defensive taijutsu had its own flaws as well, her lack of speed and strength to withstand Naruto's brute force allowing him to land as many blows as her counters allowed her to. They continued sparring until about 11 in the morning when Sayaki decided it was best that they rest the next hour and ready themselves for the missions.

Naruto, being as generous as he was, offered Sakura the chance to learn the weight and storage seals along with him and the girl took the chance without any hesitation. It was during this practice of calligraphy that Sakura asked Naruto about the Kagebunshin.

"Naruto?" she asked and he looked at her. "where did you learn the Kagebunshin? I mean its an awesome technique but its not taught anywhere in the academy or Konoha."

Naruto looked back at his paper as the events of that night flashed back through his brain. Would it be okay to tell Sakura about what had happened? About how he had graduated?

Sakura noticed him furrow his eyebrows as he tried to decide on a path of action and figured that it was a sensitive topic for him. "you don't have to tell me if you don't want to Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked up at her and smiled. "thanks Sakura-chan. Its just hard for me to tell you about it."

Sakura smiled. "do you think I can learn it?" she asked.

Naruto thought for a minute before she replied. "ofcourse you can. But I cant teach it to you. It has a lot of risks. For example the chakra required may be more than you have for more than one clone. And the clones do die rather easily."

Sakura nodded. It made sense, even a powerful jutsu had to have a weakness. "how come you don't use more than 10 clones at a time? You have enough chakra to create more." She asked.

"well. Yes, I can create more clones at a time. But each time they dispel, all their experiences and memories are transferred to me. And 10 lives at once make me a little groggy. Im not sure I can take more than that without getting used to it more." He replied not even bothering to look up from his writing.

"memories?" she asked.

"yeah. Everything they see, hear and feel are transferred to me. Which means I immediately know what they've seen, felt or heard and if they died, the pain of their death as well. Also, it means that whatever jutsu they practice, I become more familiar with as well. That's why I use them for the exercises."

"how come you don't use them in missions then?" she asked, now very curious.

"well. The theory only applies to genjutsu and ninjutsu. Not taijutsu. As only the memories are passed to me. So basically my muscles do not develop just because my clones use them. Im not really sure about Kenjutsu. I will have to ask someone like Kakashi."

"yes." came a voice as both genin looked upwards to see Kakashi perched on the branch. "the technique can be applied to kenjutsu as well, if you mean the experience in handling a katana. And yes, Sakura can learn the Kagebunshin, but she has to promise to use only one clone per day and for training only."

Sakura's interest peaked at the mention of her learning the Kagebunshin.

"why only once a day and only for training?" asked Naruto.

"well. With her current reserves, it would drain her too much to be effective in battle. Yet in training, it would help her with her jutsus and chakra control while the drain will increase the rate of the growth of her chakra reserves." Replied Kakashi. "the one clone per day rule only applies until her reserves are large enough for her to be able to make two and still stay standing on her feet. You do know that the clones dispel if the user is out of chakra or unconscious right?"

Naruto nodded. He had experienced that the first night. His chakra exhaustion had dispelled the clones, the information overload finally knocking him out.

"well. If you two are done resting, shall we get on with our missions?" asked Kakashi as he jumped down to the ground. The two genin stood up and left after their sensei.

* * *

the system of training continued for the next two weeks, both of them doing laps early in the morning, followed by chakra control exercises which sometimes went along with sparring and then doing the missions in the afternoon.

Both genin of team 7 had improved a lot compared to their starting positions, both of them managing to learn the weight and storage seals as well as moving on to water walking to the limit where they could now spar on water. Their taijutsu skills had also improved as well as their marksmanship with the ninja tools such as shuriken and kunai.

Naruto's chakra control had improved to the point that he wasted very little chakra while performing the Kagebunshin, Sakura meanwhile had increased her chakra capacity so that now she could form two Kagebunshin and still be effective in battle though her control had slipped a little.

Kakashi had been overjoyed with their progress and as promised had taught them what they had wanted to know. Surprisingly for him, the only thing they had asked him for was taijutsu lesions and tips. He had asked them why and they had responded that it was the only thing that they needed to improve as soon as possible and that it was the only thing that they could not learn from a scroll or a book in the ninja library. Kakashi had gone further as to ask why they hadn't asked for ninjutsu or genjutsu lessons. Sakura had been the one to respond to this particular question stating that neither of them knew their chakra affinities thus did not know what type of ninjutsu to ask for.

The two genin had decided to take their nights off, Naruto spending his time with more seals that the Sandaime had given him on request and Sakura studying the human body. Sakura had always wanted to be a doctor and had decided that she would become a medic-nin like her mother. And it would also mean that she would have a career to fall back on if she encountered a career ending injury.

* * *

Exactly two weeks after their training had started, both Naruto and Sakura stood near the bridge waiting for Kakashi.

"he's late." Said Sakura. "its not like him to be late for our meetings." Indeed, Kakashi had stopped his habit of being late, atleast to things where his two man cell was concerned.

"I bet it's the old man." He said as he finished drawing a seal on the palm of a black glove that he had bought from a store earlier that morning. Now that his control was better, he could manage a small genjutsu that disguised him and allowed him to buy things from shops and stores he wasn't allowed into earlier. "I don't really see anyone else being able to detain him for so long."

True. Over the past two weeks, the two genin had gotten to know their sensei a bit more. Enough that Kakashi had told them about his past with Obito and Rin and the Yondaime as well as his time as an ANBU captain, though he hadn't told them everything. They didn't expect him to either.

"alright! Its done!" he exclaimed as he put the glove on.

Sakura looked at his questioningly and Naruto held out his palm at her.

"see that?" he said as she pointed to the palm of the glove and the seal he had painted there. "that's a special storage seal for kunai." He said grinning. "I have another special seal for shuriken on the palm of this hand. So now, I don't have to reach anywhere to get a weapon."

It finally made sense why he was so fervent about being a better shuriken thrower with his left arm than his right. He was practicing so that he could always hit his target by surprise. "Naruto." Said Sakura. "what if the Kunai comes out with the pointed end towards you?" she asked. It wasn't really a problem with the shuriken as each side of the star was sharp enough, but the kunai was like a knife, a blade on one end and a handle on the other.

Naruto stuck his hand closer to her face. "see the diagram of a kunai?"

Sakura looked closely at the seal and noticed a diagram of a kunai in the middle, its point faced towards the left, away from the body when drawn. "hmm." She responded.

"well, that's the direction it will unseal in, no matter how I seal it in." he said with a confident grin, proud of his own creation. Sakura was impressed. Naruto had thought about it all before he had gone and drawn the seal on the glove. Not what she would have expected from the dobe a few weeks ago. She would have to ask him to make some for her later on. even though she knew how to create a storage seal, she still had no clue how to draw these special ones. It was just too complicated for her.

The weight seal and storage seal had been simple as it didn't require much knowledge of sealing to be able to learn them and use them. The weight seal only needed to be drawn for it to be active. The user having to push chakra in to it to make it heavier and withdrawing chakra to make it lighter. Likewise, the storage seal only needed for the user to push the item with a little bit of chakra to seal it, and a little bit of chakra to unseal it. The only reason she had had to learn both of these were because the seals would only allow the creator to use it. The reasons for it being created that way were understandable.

A poof of smoke interrupted Sakura's thoughts as Kakashi appeared looking rather rushed. "we have a slight change of plans today." Said the Jounin. "Sandaime has assigned an urgent mission of high priority to us. I want the both of you to pack everything for a few days and meet me at the gate in an hour." Both Sakura and Naruto racing home wondering what had their sensei so rushed.

* * *

**Okay. Another chapter done! And the next is on its way :D**

**Though I would like to know one thing before I upload it…. do you want the wave arc next? Or the new mission? Coz I need both…**

**REVIEW!! And ask if anything confuses you… I will do my best to explain**


	4. Chapter 4: First Blood

**Chapter 4 is here!!! :P**

**Okayyy… I never really intended to create anything other than what was in the manga, atleast until the shippuuden episodes start... So this is going to be a challenge.**

**Ah well…. Here goes!!**

**Btw I do not own Naruto**

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Without Sasuke

Chapter 4: First blood

Exactly an hour after they had split up to go and pack, the two genin of team 7 met their sensei in front of the main Konoha gate, fully packed.

"Got everything?" asked Kakashi as he eyed the two young ninja.

Naruto nodded and patted the two scrolls that had taken the place of his ninja pouches, while Sakura had one going across her back along her waistline. "Kids." Muttered Kakashi. "Sealing everything into scrolls."

The two genin smiled. They both knew that they were the only genin of their batch to seal their equipment into scrolls or pouches. Kakashi the only Jounin to use the method. Both Naruto and Sakura knew the Yondaime was Konoha's second seal master and Kakashi being his prized pupil was expected to know some sealing techniques himself.

"So what's the mission Kakashi sensei?" asked Naruto, eager to get on the way.

"The hokage has received a request from a friendly city near our border with Iwa for a team to help with their current civil war. Normally the hokage would send a Jounin team but the earliest he can send one is atleast a week later. Meanwhile, the current government is sending a scroll to the village of Iwagakure, for help to quell this rebellion. And we cannot let that scroll reach the border and into the land of Earth. The hokage wants us to intercept this messenger and make sure it does not cross the border." Said Kakashi.

"But wont this mission be risky sensei? Surely Iwagakure will send their ninja to retrieve this scroll." Said Sakura.

"Iwa and Konoha relations are on a very tight rope. And they are still recovering from the last shinobi war. Iwa dare not step across that border without expecting us to declare all out war with them. And with them being the trespassers, they cannot hope to win over the other hidden villages either. The hokage does not expect much ninja activity above the average Chuunin missing nin in that particular area." Said Kakashi.

"So, basically we are just going there to prevent the scroll from getting across the border?" asked Naruto.

"Well, yes, though the hokage wants us to stay with the rebles until the Jounin squad comes to relieve us." Said Kakashi. "Its good really, it means you can gain experience as well as train with me for longer time when we don't have any action."

Naruto nodded and Sakura stood silent waiting for their sensei to continue. "We will get further information on what to do when we reach the city." Continued Kakashi. "Shall we?" he asked before he jumped into the trees, the two genin keeping pace with him easily.

* * *

It took team 7 most of the entire day to arrive at the designated meeting spot with one of their employers. Yet the sight that greeted them was less welcoming than they expected. There was a slight skirmish going on between a group of Samurai and what seemed to be a small battalion of soldiers.

Kakashi called a halt to the two genin as he surveyed the fight taking place.

"Why are we stopping? We should go and help them." asked Naruto, as he tried to control himself from jumping into the fray.

"Naruto!" scolded Sakura. "Be patient! Besides, how do we even know who is who?"

Naruto calmed down for a while as he looked at the ongoing battle. Sakura was right. He did not know who he should help and who he should kill. Kakashi spoke then and both genins listened.

"The ones with the red flags are our employers. Anyone with a different color is to be killed on sight."

"Killed?" asked Sakura shocked.

Kakashi looked at her and nodded. "Yes. We cant have the Suzaku government finding out about our presence in the city. It would ruin our plans for intercepting that scroll. A failure in our mission could mean our enemies in Iwa gaining more power."

Sakura tried to resist the growing knot in her stomach, trying to convince herself that it wouldn't be hard. After all, it needed to be done for her career and for the good of the village.

"Alright." Said Kakashi and the feeling of dread returned to Sakura. "I want this done, fast and quick, let no one escape." Sakura steeled herself. It needed to be done, if they were going to stop another shinobi world war. The three ninja vanished from their spots on the tree.

* * *

Down in the clearing below, the Kanika rebels were trying their hardest to repel the greater number of Suzaku soldiers with little success. Out of the 10 that had originally come, there were now 5 and their hopes of surviving were looking slimmer and slimmer.

Kanika Masato, youngest child of their leader Kanika Tomoshiro, ducked under a naginata before he impaled the onrushing soldier with his Samurai katana. He pulled the blade out, flicking the blood off of it with a quick whip of his wrist as he surveyed the battle.

He wouldn't know just how many soldiers the Suzaku had sent until he had made a body count, but they had managed to take down 5 of the 15 Samurai in Kanika's small force during the surprise attack. The other 5 including himself were making a fight out of it, making sure that the warband did not make it away with low casualties.

Masato cursed Konoha. If their aid had arrived on time an hour earlier, they would have been better prepared for this onslaught. Maybe they wouldn't even have suffered any casualties. And now, they were going to die waiting for help that did not arrive.

Masato saw one of his samurai fall, knocked over by the hurtling form of a Suzaku soldier trying to shove a short sword into his armor. There was no way he was going to get to him soon enough to save him. He watched in horror as the soldier thrust the sword into the samurai with a triumphant cry, only for the samurai to be replaced by a log.

A log? Thought Masato. What in the world is happening?

His thoughts were answered as the silver haired form of Kakashi appeared in front of the shocked Suzaku soldier and slashed a kunai across his throat, the blood spraying into empty space as the Jounin vanished again.

Konoha had finally come! Their ninja had finally arrived at the designated spot and look at their efficiency! With that speed, Masato knew that the Suzaku soldier had not seen the ninja until he had met the blade of the kunai.

Another Suzaku soldier fell, clutching his throat, as a red figure appeared in front of him. Though this one seemed slightly slower and smaller than the silver haired man had been.

A sudden yell from nearby broke Masato out of his trance and he managed to turn his head around to see a blade come slashing down at him. It was over. He knew it. he knew that he did not have the speed to lift up his blade in time to block the incoming slash. Before he knew it, a couple of kunai impacted with his assailants face spurting blood into the air. The orange army that followed the kunai had passed him before the body even hit the ground.

Masato watched in amazement, as the orange army soundly took on the whole remainder of the Suzaku detachment, with the occasional sighting of the silver haired man and what seemed to Masato like a girl in a red dress. soon, the skirmish as over. The Kanika had suffered 5 deaths opposed to the Suzaku's 30 lost men. A proper victory, thanks to the surprise and effectiveness of the Konoha nin. For now, Masato needed to go talk to the silver haired man. He had been expecting a team of 5 grown up men yet had been found by a man and 2 children. There had to be an explanation.

* * *

"So you are telling me, that the soonest you can send your Jounin team is in a week and that you 3 are all I have to work with for the whole of this week?" exclaimed Masato as if he had been cheated.

Kakashi sweatdropped. He had already explained it 4 times and this would be the fifth with this particular man. He hoped that the leader of the rebellion would be much smarter than his son. "Yes, Kanika-sama. We apologize, but had we waited for the Jounin team to assemble then we would be allowing the Suzaku to send a messenger to Iwa. And that we cannot have."

"No! we cannot!" exclaimed Masato. "Can you not see that that is the exact problem? How do you think a Jounin and two mere genin can capture or kill a messenger!" he asked flabbergasted.

"This Jounin and two mere genin took on a whole detachment that you 10 samurai had trouble with." Stated Kakashi impatiently. "What makes you think that this messenger will be any luckier? He is just one man."

Masato had to concede on this point. If it had not been for their intervention, they would not have survived that day. And the news of Masato's death would be circulated by the Suzaku, demoralizing the rebel forces.

"Mainly because, the messenger will most likely be a ninja of Chuunin to Jounin skill. and these are mere children! They do not have the skill, strength nor the experience a chuunin level ninja will have!" There was no way that the Suzaku would let something that important go without a safety plan. And a backup safety plan as well.

Kakashi looked Masato in the eye. "Do not underestimate my students just because they are young. The two of them combined may even be strong enough to capture or even kill me. And if my students cannot handle him, then I will. Rest assured that we will get your messenger if only you would trust in our abilities and take us to gather some rest."

Masato forced his mouth shut, driving all thoughts of a retort from his mind. He did owe them. Atleast enough to let them into his network and introduce him to the kind, who would then decide the fate of the mission.

He nodded. "Fine. We move as soon as our men are done wrapping themselves up" he rarely let Kakashi look at him so Kakashi had decided that he would not play at him, or play into him.

As soon as the man was gone, the Kakashi Kagebunshin vanished out of existence.

The real Kakashi, meanwhile was sitting next to an unconscious blonde boy who had gone through the mistake of using too many Kagebunshin just to kill. Sakura also sat by Kakashi's side, waiting for Naruto to get up.

She had felt the effect of having a couple of clones and them dying in very simple ways and that was a pretty nasty experience. She had also taken her first kill today, much like him, Yet she would have no idea what it was like to have the memories of the number of first kill each of the clones had taken. And it had knocked him out like a light.

But she did know how it felt for her.

"Sakura." Kakashi spoke. "Are you okay?"

Sakura dumbly nodded.

"Want to talk about it?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura fumbled for words. There was no way she was going to be able to say it out loud. She had been aiming for his chest. A slash deep enough to take him out of the fight but not kill him. So that she could feel better by claiming it had not been her that had taken the kill. Yet, the man had gone down on one knee at the last second. One of Naruto's stray kunai had hit him right behind his knee and it had buckled. He had gone down on one knee. Low enough that her slash had opened him up from left shoulder and across his neck, the blood spurting all over. She had been lucky to have the speed to avoid the spray.

She had frozen in that moment. Her world had stopped. Her brain constantly replaying the scene of her kunai entering and exiting. His skin parting way and his flesh opening up. The blood erupting from the long gash left in the now lifeless body. It had sickened her to her core. She had been lucky that Naruto's small clone army had charged in, distracting the enemy until she could recover enough to join them. And she had. She had joined them in cutting down the remnant. Even though she did not make any further kills, she had played a vital part in bringing them down, to allow the Samurai to finish them off.

"It's just that… It's hard to forget… To move on." she said after a while.

Kakashi nodded. "It does stay with you forever. I still remember each and every bit of my first kill." Said the Jounin. "But, it is something you have to do in our career, to stay alive."

Sakura knew that. She knew of the dangers of the career once they had taken the test. She knew that she currently did not have the strength to take on a Jounin. She had watched the number one rookie of her batch try and fail. Yet she also knew that strength without the intent behind it was also unacceptable. The very same Jounin had fallen into a trap set by the lowest ranking genin at that time. She knew that if he had been going for the kill, showing no mercy at all, then he would not have fallen for it. and she would be the same. She had to improve, and always have the intent if she wanted to be successful in her ninja career.

Naruto groaned and struggled to sit up, clutching at his head as he was rising.

"Naruto!" exclaimed Sakura as she helped her team mate sit up. "Are you ok?"

"Ugh. My head hurts." Said Naruto.

"Yeah. You fainted." Said Sakura. "All the first kills must have overloaded your brain. How do you feel?"

"I'm ok. Its just chakra exhaustion." Said the blonde boy.

"Chakra exhaustion?" repeated Sakura. "but you are ok. Why are you exhausted?"

Naruto rolled up his arm and showed them a small seal on his shoulder normally where the ANBU tattoo would have been.

"What is that?" asked Sakura.

"A chakra siphoning seal." Said Naruto. "It's hard for me to use up all my chakra since the new training regiment began, since I only use 10 or so Kagebunshin at a time. So I came up with this one. It would drain exactly 10% of the chakra that I use as long as its on me. I kinda forgot to take it off as I left the village."

"So its been draining you all the time since we left?" asked Sakura and the blond boy nodded.

Kakashi was once again impressed. He had yet again found another way to further himself than he already was. And that seal would also come in handy in battle, some day.

"What about those people you killed? Don't you feel bad over them?" asked Sakura in disbelief.

Naruto lowered his head. "I do. No one should die, much less be killed by someone else. But that is the way of life. And it is not the first time I have killed." Said the boy, the last sentence mumbled so softly that Kakashi wouldn't have known what he had said unless he had read the boys lips.

"What?" gasped Sakura, taken aback a little. Naruto had killed someone before his first mission outside of Konoha? Even though she was surprised about this piece of information, what Naruto did next surprised her even more. He stood up groggily on his two legs and walked off. "Naruto." She called after him but it appeared that he hadn't heard her.

Sakura would have gone after him had she not been held by a hand on her shoulder. "Let him be Sakura." Came Kakashi's voice. "He's not proud of that day. He feels he was only graduated on his prowess to kill."

Sakura made to start after him but Kakashi held her again. "let him be Sakura. He will tell you when he is ready. Come, Kanika-sama wants to leave for his base as soon as possible, in case more parties are sent to search for the one we killed. Naruto has the sense to not wander too far."

Sakura nodded and followed Kakashi toward the packing Samurai.

* * *

Naruto meanwhile had walked off into the trees. Far enough to be separated from the group, yet not too far as not to noticed that they were packing for departure. He mentally slapped himself over and over a few times. How could he have let that little piece of information about him slip? It was something he had vowed none of his batch would ever know. To be graduated just for killing a criminal that was wanted. And the kill had been accidental as well. He had in no way meant to kill Mizuki. He had respected him once, and even though Mizuki had betrayed him and Konoha, a mere academy student had no right to kill him

Somehow, a blow from a clone had caused Mizuki to hit a rock in an awkward way and he had died. Naruto didn't know whether it had been the rock that had killed him or whether it was the blow. All he had known was that the medics that came had pronounced him dead. And he had been given the headband soon after.

True enough, the Hokage himself had said that the promotion was for showing extraordinary skill in mastering an A rank jutsu but Naruto could not believe it. he could not help think that it was only for his kill of a nin, much less a Chuunin, that was the real reason for his promotion.

After Mizuki's death, Naruto had spent hours looking at his hands, imagining them blood stained. He had thought he would never be able to kill again, but the sight of the soldiers overwhelming the Kanika Samurai had pushed him into action. And after that, the killing came easily. Too easily he thought.

He would have pondered on the thought further, had not been there a call from Kakashi.

* * *

It took the group approximately 2 hours to get to the rebel base located in an old abandoned fort in the hills. By Masato's explanation, this was once a training ground for the Kanika family Samurai, which were the roots of the Samurai that the group had met. They had spoke little, save for the explanation of where they were going. Masato would not tell them the exact location, he said it would slow down their pace. They would be taken there anyways and they would know the location. Two hours, thought Sakura. Two full hours, and they had been riding their horses at full gallop, their pace only slowed by the fact that the samurai could not use chakra.

As they neared, Masato slowed down the pace of the group. He explained the reason as he pulled his horse to a halt.

"That, there is our base." He said pointing to the old fort up ahead. It wasn't much from afar. Looked like about 3 stories high, with steep walls and parapets, made for a handful of guards and no real army.

"It's not much as you can see. If they can find us, we'd be pretty hard put to stave off an entire siege." He said as he looked at it from his vantage point.

"What do we do if they find us?" asked Kakashi. "How do we defend it?"

Masato grinned. "Just because they find it does not mean they can get to it. what you see before you is not normal sand."

Not normal sand? Then what kind of sand could it be?

Masato saw the confused look in the genin and explained. "What lies before you until those trees up ahead is all quicksand, except for one narrow pathway, that will only allow five horses to travel on it abroad."

Quicksand! Like a hidden moat! And the weak looking fort would urge the enemy into charging it full frontal, only for them to start sinking in the quicksand. So even though it looked poorly defended, it had traps laying in wait and Sakura was sure, there were more they weren't being told about.

"Well, if the 3 of you would follow me, I'll guide you through this trap." Said Masato as he dismounted before leading his horse by his its reins, his samurai and the Konoha team following tracing his footsteps.

Kakashi noted that the path Masato took was zigzagged with abrupt turns. He had memorized the number of steps before each turn so that he would not fall into it again. It would mean that the enemy would not find it easy even if they had found the beginning of the solid pathway and they would learn that it was not straight the hard way.

Masato noticed the silver haired Jounin observing each step Masato took and smiled. "Yes. The enemy will find it hard to cross this. For their running steps will be larger than walking steps. And many will fall in trying to figure the zig zags. That means they will have to move slowly, making it easier for our Samurai bows."

Yes, Kakashi decided as they stepped into the trees, and what must have been solid ground. The Suzaku would suffer heavy losses trying to take this fort.

* * *

The inside of the fort was not at all what Naruto and Sakura had anticipated. They had both imagined it as in Konoha, bustling with civilians and rarely any Samurai activity. Yet, this fort, was all about the Samurai.

Instead of the normal gates that would open inwards, as in Konoha, the Kanika fort had a gate that was raised and lowered. Naruto found that the lower edges of this gate, ended in a large number of sharpened spikes. None other than to impale the attackers that manage to get through.

"Um, Kanika-sama. How quickly can you close the gates?" he asked as they entered. Kanika smiled and waited till everyone was in before giving out a bellowing command. One of the guards, a peasant soldier, by his dressing, let go of a rope and the gate rocketed down, slamming into the ground. all activity around the entering group ceased at the large boom that was heard, some of the younger and less experienced soldiers reaching for their swords.

"If you three will follow me, I will show you to your rooms. My father, Kanika Tomoshiro, would like to meet you once you are settled and rested." Said Masato as he handed the reigns of his horse to a stable boy that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Sakura was amazed at the number of people that had gathered at such a small fort. It wasn't until she had entered that she realized that it only looked small, but was also built into the side of the nearby mountain. Sakura frowned. They had survived only because they had not come across any conquering shinobi army. Any shinobi with an affinity for the earth element could easily breach these walls by tunneling through the mountain.

But still, the number of people stunned her. In front of her eyes, in this large courtyard, must have been atleast 200 to 300 peasants, all training and practicing under the watchful guidance of a few Samurai elders.

One of the Samurai spoke as he passed her. "Those are not real Samurai child. They are just in training. Giving them what knowledge we can give in the short time we are given to overthrow the Suzaku."

It made sense. The Suzaku, being the current government had the countries armies to call upon and these rebels, had only themselves to put on the line for what they fought for. And it was for that only that they needed all the help they could get.

The fort, was rectangular in shape, just a small portion of it sticking out of the mountain. The portion being the gate, the two corner turrets and the small soccer field sized courtyard. The rest, as the two genin found out as they went deeper in, was hidden inside the mountain.

Though they found numerous, large building cut into the wall, along with rooms and other compartment, both of them noticed that there were no women, no children, no elderly among the inhabitants of the fort. It was as if this fort was only meant for men who would go to war.

A few turns through the maze like tunnels of the fort, the three arrived in a spacious and well lit cave along with two futons.

"This I believe is for Kakashi-san and Uzumaki-san. The room next door will be Haruno-sans. I'm sorry but she is the first female to ever be housed in this fort and somethings we will need for her to point out to us so that we can correct it. I'm sure not all of us know a young girls needs." Said Masato as he bowed.

"Masato-san." Spoke Kakashi, referring to Masato with his given name rather than his family name, since Kanika-sama would now refer to his father. "If possible I would rather meet your father first and then scout around a bit before we lay down to rest. That is if that's okay with you."

Masato nodded. "I'm sure that can be arranged Kakashi-san. Will it be only you? Or will the children like to come along?"

Naruto and Sakura both looked towards Kakashi, both eager to hear everything straight from the rebel leaders mouth.

"They will come along." Said Kakashi. "I'm sure they will have questions that they would like answered." Finished the silver haired Jounin.

Masato nodded. "This way then." He said as he exited the room.

Team 7 of Konoha were finally on their way to meeting the head of the rebel movement and what was surely to be the start of their first real mission outside of Konoha.

* * *

**Okay… im sorry for the very late update… I was outa town for a while… and without my lap… so I couldn't write… and then I was busy with work… and other duties….**

**Well… here it is now… note that this mission will not be any shorter in number of chapters than the wave… I simply like explaining things too much… maybe it's a fault of mine…**

**So… read… and **

**REVIEW!!!**


	5. Chapter 5: Briefing and a stake out

**Sorry for having to say this…. But Wave will happen… I need it…. for some other plans I have in store**

**Thank you for the reviews… **** they r really helping me to continue writing…**

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Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 5: Briefing

The entrance to the audience chamber of Kanika Tomoshiro was one of the grandest entrances in the entire section of the fort carved into the mountain. Mainly because it was the only one that had proper steel doors. The rest of them, were mainly wooden, easy to break through with a chakra enhanced punch.

The inside, was even grander. Here, the floor was not earth, but rather, paved marble. It was laid, Kakashi knew, though where they had gotten the marble, was a mystery. He had not seen marble since leaving Konoha. Parts of the cave walls were covered with red banners all incorporating the simple Kanika clan symbol of a crossed Katana and sheath.

There was a simple red carpet, again adorned with the Kanika clan symbol, that stretched from the entrance, all the way to the throne the Samurai leader sat on. the 'throne' was not so much a throne that Kakashi would call it one. It was more like a seat that the Kages sit on. yet, anything a leader and the future Daimyo of a country would sit on deserved to be called a throne.

"welcome! Welcome to my humble hideout!" said Tomoshiro as he stood up and greeted the Konoha nin. Kanika Tomoshiro, was not by any means a small man. Instead he was lean and muscular, not heavyset, but more built for speed and flexibility. The perfect mix for a kenjutsu user noted Kakashi.

"Father, I'd like you to meet the team from Konoha. The Jounin, Hatake Kakashi and the two genin, Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura." Said Masato as he stood to a side and gestured towards the Konoha team.

The whole of team 7 bowed to the Samurai leader in a show of respect for their employer. Kakashi gave Tomoshiro some time to study them before he spoke.

"the hokage sends his apologies on not being able to send a team of full Jounin as you requested. The hokage has recalled some Jounin from some other less urgent duties and the team is expected to be here by the start of next week." Said the silver haired Jounin. "in the meantime, the Hokage would like to offer my teams services to you in your attempt to intercept the treaty on its way to Iwa as we speak."

"ah. The treaty." Said the leader of the rebel forces as Kakashi stood up from his bow. "the caravan in which the treaty bearer to Iwa is traveling in will be passing within a few miles of where we are currently situated in two days time. The caravan is heavily guarded, with about two hundred armed soldiers guarding all sides. Our sources, however, have not been able to identify the treaty bearer amongst the soldiers or civilians in this caravan."

It would be very difficult to prevent the treaty from escaping into Earth country if they did not know who had the treaty. And the hardest work would be to find who had it. if indeed any of them had it at all. Being a prankmaster himself, Naruto knew that he would not send something so valuable under so flashy a guard.

"how are we going to stop it from going across the border if there are so many soldiers?" asked Naruto.

Tomoshiro smiled. "we'll help you ofcourse. Everyone in this very fort is currently preparing for the assault to take place the day after tomorrow. It is during this assault that I expect the three of you to use the fighting as a distraction to kill and burn the treaty headed towards Iwa."

"but Kanika-sama, how would we do that if we do not know who has the treaty?" asked Sakura.

It was Masato who spoke this time. "if it was so easy for you to take on the raiding party that wanted to disrupt our meeting, then it should be easy for you to take on the whole caravan with our help."

"the only reason we found it so easy was because they were unprepared for our entrance." Said Naruto, calmly stating the facts

"it would be foolish to assume they wont be as unprepared as next time. They will be expecting us to enter the fray." Continued Kakashi, taking over for the blond boy.

"they are right, Masato." Spoke Tomoshiro. "we cannot expect the Suzaku to fall for the same trick twice. It might cost us too many lives."

He then turned to the team and spoke. "my apologies for our poor information and planning skills. I had not thought that my son, nor our tacticians would have planned it so carelessly. Allow me some time to contact my sources directly and gather the needed information so that we can properly plan and execute it."

"Kanika-sama. If we may, may we be allowed free roam of the nearby land? I would like to be able to train the genin in an open environment." Asked Kakashi.

Tomoshiro nodded. "you may. I will send for you once I have the proper plan laid out." He said, nodding the teams dismissal.

Kakashi nodded and walked out of the chamber, his two genin following close behind.

* * *

"this doesn't feel right." Said Naruto as soon as soon as they were behind closed doors and the privacy jutsu was up.

"what doesn't feel right?" questioned Sakura.

"why would anyone in their right mind, send such a valuable document, in such a flashy way?" he said. "if it were me, I'd use the caravan as the distraction to attract the larger force of the rebels to it. hopefully end it before the treaty even reached Iwa."

"you are saying that it's a trap?" asked Sakura, her mouth wide open.

"it very well could be." Said Kakashi turning both their attention to him. "think about it. the Kanika leader can not get any information on the treaty bearer. What if its because the treaty bearer is not in that caravan?"

It struck Sakura then and there. What if it was indeed true. The Caravan would be a much slower paced mode of transport, especially for such a vital document that needs to be delivered with haste. Instead a lone traveler, would make much better time if he was on his own schedule.

"so what shouldn't we go tell the Kanika?" she asked.

"no." Kakashi said. "the caravan will be nearby in two days. If so, a lone rider on a horse will already be nearby right now and will have passed us by that time. The only reason the caravan is coming is because they want to finish it. before the Jounin come."

"I don't understand." Said Naruto, frowning.

"there is a spy amongst the Kanika. How else would the raiding party have known exactly where to attack the meeting party? The Suzaku must now know, that it is only one Jounin and two genin that have come to help the Kanika. They want to end this before the Jounin squad comes."

It definitely would be easier for the Suzaku to take out the Kanika with only one Jounin and two genin fresh out of the academy rather than a squad of five full Jounin. It was the best chance that the Suzaku would have to stifle the resistance before they grew stronger.

"so how do we go about this?" asked the blond boy.

"we need to sneak out tomorrow. And scout out our surroundings. There is no way anyone can get to the Iwa border without coming within a few miles of here. As for now, get your rest. We will need it for what we need to do tomorrow."

Sakura had trouble sleeping that night. She could not get out of her head, how Naruto had reacted to his amount of kills. And the knowledge that they weren't his first, worried her even more. Who had been there to help him then? Who had he talked to? How had he gotten through it? had he gotten through it at all?

And this was further confounded with the fact that they would need to do more killing in the upcoming days. With the assault on the Caravan and also their plan on intercepting the treaty barrier coming up, there was no way, either of them were going to come away without killing.

In these thoughts, Sakura not even once, thought about her own first kill that had happened earlier that day.

* * *

The next day began early and abruptly for both genin as Kakashi woke them up from their sleep at 4 am in the morning.

"what?" was the first word that Naruto managed to mumble out as he was roused. The blond boy opened his eyes to see the form of Kakashi wrapping his kunai and shuriken holster to his legs.

"wake up. We are going scouting." Said the Jounin as he stood up from the chair. "Sakura is already in the toilet."

"scouting?" asked Naruto, still dazed.

"yeah. We're going to go around the nearby villages. See if we can find anything and anyone suspicious." Said the silver haired Jounin.

"how do we know who is suspicious and who is not?" asked Sakura as she came out of the bathroom fully dressed and drying her hair with a towel.

Naruto groggily stood up and collected his clothes before he went into the same bathroom Sakura had just come from. He could still hear Kakashi and Sakura talk as he quickly dressed.

"we'll know when we start searching for him." Said Kakashi.

Naruto came out of the toilet, gloves on, everything set. "um. Kakashi-sensei? How many villages do you think would be around here?" he asked.

It was then that Sakura started to worry about how much of their time they would have to spend trying to find this treaty bearer.

* * *

Naruto had recently started believing it was better to be prepared for any situation yet nothing could have prepare him for the situation they were currently in.

"well. Atleast we can consider this training." Said Sakura as she tried to lighten up the mood.

It had appeared that the solid path of ground had shifted since they had entered the village. Either that or there were more similar trees in the small oasis that hid the entrance to the fort. Now, the three Konoha nin were in a circle with a radius of three feet, surrounded on all sides by quicksand. It had been a mystery how they had gotten into that position in the first place.

Kakashi thought about it for a second before he heard Naruto yelp and quickly turned around to see the boy flail around as one of his feet sank into the quicksand. It took both Kakashi and Sakura to pull him out of it for the second time that day.

"Naruto! Its quicksand! You cant just walk on it!" scolded Sakura as she looked down at the heaving boy.

Naruto was about to string together a number of apologies when Kakashi spoke.

"Naruto, how did you get that far in?" he asked. Naruto looked up at him and Sakura scoffed

"he didn't get that far Kakashi sensei." Said the girl

"no he didn't, but he managed one step. It was during his second step that his first foot sank." Said the Jounin.

True. Both of Narutos legs had been in quicksand when they had pulled him out. If it had been only one leg, he could and should have been able to do that himself.

"so tell us, Naruto." Nudged Sakura.

"well. You sink in quicksand right? And you also sink in water right? So I thought, maybe the water walking would work on this as well. But it doesn't. at least not long enough for you to take a second step."

Interesting, thought Kakashi, while Sakura was amazed that Naruto had even thought to try that out. So this is his real self. Sakura watched as Kakashi gingerly took a step on to the quicksand. And like Narutos his foot landed on solid ground. However, the next step Kakashi took was also on solid ground and it was exactly where Naruto had sunk earlier.

"sensei, how are you doing that?" asked Sakura, her mouth agape in wonder.

"easy. I used Narutos hint on water walking plus the tip of tree climbing. The trick is to keep the sand underneath your feet solid by the amount of chakra you push through your feet." Said the Jounin.

"do we have that much chakra and control to do that?" asked Sakura.

"we will have to see. Besides. You can consider this training. It will improve your control and your reserves." Said Kakashi.

Naruto was the first to jump up at the mention of training. Though he still retained his eagerness to fight and train, he was more calm, and rarely took unnecessary risks. The proof was evident here as Naruto carefully stepped out like Kakashi, instead of the jumping in he would have done a month ago.

A few minutes later, the trio were running on the quicksand, towards one of the five villages on the outskirts of the fort. They were the only places between the capitol city and the Iwa border that a man or a small group could stop to rest and resupply.

* * *

"sensei." Called Sakura as they entered the town under simple henge. "why are we here? This is the village farthest from the caravan. Do you think the treaty bearer would be here?"

Kakashi calmly put his hand in his pocket and pulled out his favourite orange colored book. "yes. the farthest point from the caravan would be the least monitored by the Kanika spies. And therefore it will be the easiest place for the treaty bearer to hide."

"how do we know if we find him? I mean how can we differentiate him and any other guy?" asked Naruto.

"to be honest, even I don't know. But the real reason we are here is to meet someone who might know." Said Kakashi as he walked into the small town.

The two genin followed behind, both of them clearly confused about what their sensei had planned for them or for their mission.

Kakashi barely looked up from his book as he spoke. "we are here to meet our legendary spymaster, the one who keeps track of the Konoha spy network for the Hokage. If anyone can, he is the one that can point us towards our runaway treaty bearer."

Runaway treaty bearer, thought Sakura. Kakashi almost made it sound as if the treaty had run away from them.

"so who is this legendary spymaster?" asked Naruto. Not only was he curious as to what made the man legendary, but he also wanted to fill in the blanks about the world renowned nin of Konoha.

"I'm sure you two must have heard about the legendary toad sage, Jiraiya of the Sannin." Said Kakashi.

Sakura's eyes went wide at the mention of the Sannin. They were the legendary three of Konoha that had held their own against Salamander Hanzou of Rain where an entire army could not. The Sannin were made up of Orochimaru, the snake sannin, who had betrayed the village and gone off in search of self glory. Jiraiya, the toad sage, the one who had trained the young Namikaze Minato, the one who would come to be known as the Yellow Flash of Konoha and the Yondaime Hokage. And last but not least, her idol as a Kunoichi, The slug sannin, Senju Tsunade, hailed as the best medic nin the world had ever seen. She had vanished from the village soon after the latest shinobi war had ended. (someone tell me which war this was) and here they were going to meet one of the very legendary Sannin at the mere age of 14. (sorry if this is not their real age. 12 is a bit too young for them to have any romantic interests… for me… so I thought I'd age them a few years to something more acceptable.)

"where will we meet him?" asked Sakura, eager in anticipation for their meeting. She wondered, what kind of a person he would be. Tall, strong and handsome just like the Yondaime had been. Or whether he would be old and wizened like the Sandaime.

Sakuras question got no answer as the Jounin just kept on walking towards a certain district of the town.

"umm. Kakashi-sensei?" asked Naruto. "why are we going towards the red light district?"

By the tone of Narutos voice, Kakashi could figure that Naruto was totally confused as to why they were heading in that particular direction. It was expected, considering neither genin knew of Jiraiya's tendencies.

"to find our contact." Said Kakashi simply as he walked onto the road famous in this particular town for its bars and call girls.

"WHAAAAT?!?!" exclaimed Sakura as she stopped. "we are going to meet one of the legendary Sannin in a brothel?"

"whats wrong with a brothel?" came a voice.

The two genin turned to see a large white haired man come towards them. The man wore his white hair long. He wore a rather obvious red costume and he had a scroll on his back. But what gave away his identity to the team were not his clothes or his behavior. But rather the protector he wore on his forehead with the kanji symbol for Oil.

"Jiraiya-sama." Said Kakashi with a bow.

"Kakashi-kun." Returned the man.

Both Naruto and Sakura were bug eyed. This man. This man that the both of them had seen peeping at the Konoha bath houses and had seen countless women chase after being found, was really the Toad Sage?

"you!" said both Naruto and Jiraiya at once, pointing fingers towards each other.

"what are you doing here brat? Got nothing to do than spy on me?" asked the old man as he narrowed his eyes at the young genin.

"im not syping on you!" yelled Naruto. "its not my fault that you suck at hiding! Besides im on a mission!" he said.

"he one of your genin, Kakashi?" asked Jiraiya to which Kakashi sweatdropped before nodding.

"bah! You are on your own on this one." Jiraiya said to the Jounin as he turned around to leave.

It was Sakura's turn to yell at Jiraiya. "you cant just abandon some of your fellow ninja!"

"fellow ninja? You two are just a bunch of genin. Maybe stronger than the rest because I do not see a third member. But nevertheless you are genin. There is no guarantee whether you will live through this mission! If you do survive till you are Chuunin, then you can call me a fellow ninja." Said Jiraiya.

In an instant Sakura was above the Sannin, her kunai drawn and rushing in towards his head. She was sure that she would get him when his hand rose up to grab her hand in one swift motion.

"impressive speed. Considering you have gravity seals on you." Said Jiraiya as he held Sakura off the floor with just one hand. The sannin made to flick her off before he felt Naruto appear behind him.

Jiraiya disappeared, dropping Sakura with an unceremonious thump, the moment Naruto released the shuriken he had unsealed from his glove. The Shuriken barely missed the falling girl, Sakura desperately trying to turn away from the incoming projectiles.

"don't assume I haven't seen the seals on your gloves boy. I have seen all. Including the one you keep hidden." Naruto's eyes widened. He knew about the kyuubi! There was only one way to finish this, even though it would only be temporary.

Naruto resealed the kunai he had in his hand before he crossed his fingers in the familiar ram seal. The blonde boy grinned. "I can beat you by myself!" he exclaimed before he yelled out. "Orioke No Jutsu!"

Immediately Naruto transformed into the henge he had started calling Naruko, the clouds just barely covering her most private areas. The effect he expected was immediate, blood fountaining out from the Sannins nose, sending him flying into the air. Naruto heard two thumps, as both Kakashi and Jiraiya landed on the ground not too far from each other.

Sakura looked at Naruto as if the Jutsu had to have affected him as well.

"what?" asked Naruto as he calmly hauled Kakashi to where Jiraiya lay.

Sakura shook her head. "you are teaching me that jutsu someday." She said and Naruto had the decency to blush.

* * *

An hour later, Kakashi and Jiraiya were sitting on a log outside the town watching the two genin spar against each other.

"did you give them those seals?" asked Jiraiya.

Kakashi shook his head. "no. Sandaime-sama gave Naruto some scrolls. He taught Sakura the sealing and the gravity seal. Im not sure if shes any interested in the rest."

"that kid." Said Jiraiya eyeing Naruto. "really takes after his father doesn't he?"

Kakashi nodded. "down to the very hatred of perverts."

Jiraiya groaned. It had been this exact hatred that had caused Kushina and Minato to meet. In one way, it was good. He had never seen Minato happier, yet he also had had to give up peeping. There was no way even the sannin could outrun the Yellow Flash. And now the Fourth's son had developed the perfect Anti-pervert Jutsu.

Kakashi thought back to the jutsu. He prided himself in his ability to not fall for something twice yet he knew that he would fall prey to that jutsu more than any other he ever would.

"your guy is still in the village as we speak." Said the Sannin as he took a sip of his sake saucer. "though it will be difficult to get to him here."

The Jounin looked at the Sannin.

"this is a mainly Suzaku town, their supporters outnumbering the Kanika supporters. You will not find him alone to take him down. And we cannot afford any civilian casualties. Specially at the hands of Konoha nin."

"what do you suggest we do?" asked Kakashi.

"the bearer is readying himself for tomorrows attack. It is at that timing that he will make a break for it. while all Kanika eye are rooted onto the battle. It is at this time that he is also weakest. You must find a way. To stop him, burn the scroll and still get back in time to prevent the massacre of the Kanika forces. If the Suzaku lose this entire force, they will have lost the war." Said Jiraiya as he shook the bottle of sake trying to squeeze out as many drops as he could.

"ah well. I got to get going." Said the sannin as he stood up. "the network doesn't run itself you know."

Once the genin had finished their sparring. The entire team 7 spent the day tailing the treaty bearer and memorizing his moves. After all it would be important for them to be able to recognize him anywhere, in any disguise for he would not use a genjutsu thus allowing them to sense it.

On the way back to the fort, Kakashi pondered the information the sannin had given him. It meant that they would need to go full out on the messenger from the beginning. No mercy, no quarter, no chance.

* * *

Once back at the fort, the Kanika leader called for them as well as some of his most trusted advisors.

"my sources have obtained newer and more dependable information about the Suzaku caravan."

He said as he ushered them in, near a table that was set up with what seemed like an overview of the terrain.

"they believe that the entire Caravan will pass under this exact mountain sometime around noon. And it gives us the perfect opportunity for a devastating ambush." Said the rebel leader, the pride of coming up with a plan evident in his voice.

"we will position half of our troops on this ridge here." Said Tomoshiro pointing to a line somewhat high up on the mountain. "the rest of the men will be positioned in the woods here." Kakashi wasn't surprised to see the woods situated there. It was the perfect spot to ambush an ambush.

"when they reach this bottleneck. Our men will charge down the slope, with our weapons drawn. with the sun in their eyes, they will not see our troops until we are on top of them. The confusion of the sudden attack will surely cause major losses among the Suzaku. And once they are fully focused on us. Our troops from the forest will smash into their rear, breaking them once and for all!"

The short speech and the pump of the fist into the air raised a small cheer from those who had gathered around. Kakashi had to give it to the man that he knew how to raise the morale of his army. to give them high hopes of success, to instill that determination to achieve victory in a battle, was no less a feat than winning one itself.

It was a good plan. One that would work devastatingly well had the Suzaku not known of the plan beforehand. Kakashi was sure that by the end of the day, the trap would be set.

Team 7 hung back after the troop leaders had left. There still was the matter of the treaty bearer to be discussed.

Tomoshiro closed the large steel doors behind them as the last one of his officers filed out. Once they were alone, Tomoshiro took out a book and turned to a page before handing it to Kakashi.

"Kirame Kiyoko. Missing nin from the Village of Grass. Skills unknown. We believe her to be the one bearing the treaty. We assume that she will flee once the forest troops smash their lines, trusting her chakra enhanced speed to deliver her out of harms way. Trust me, she will make for Iwa. They have promised her that they would take her in once she has delivered the treaty to them. Follow her when she does flee and three on one will surely gain you success."

"Kanika-sama." Spoke Kakashi. "When will we be departing for the mountain? I assume you would like us to join the first wave in. do as much damage as we can."

Tomoshiro smiled. "you are a smart one Hatake-san." He said nodding his head in approval. "yes. you are right. I would like the three of you in the first attack. Kill as many Suzaku as you possibly can before you go after her. Make the battle easier for us."

Tomoshiro paused. "the troops will be leaving at 8 tomorrow morning. I would like it if you could join us then."

Kakashi nodded. "if you will, Kanika-sama, my team and I would like to prepare and rest for tomorrow. Even us ninja are human and succumb to things like fatigue." He said with a long bow before he ushered the two genin out with himself.

Neither of the trio spoke until they were back in their room and the privacy jutsu up.

"how do we get the treaty bearer Kakashi-sensei?" asked Sakura as soon as they were seated. "there is no way we can be at two places at once is there?"

"actually there is." Spoke Kakashi.

"how?" asked Sakura.

"the Kagebunshin." Pointed out Kakashi.

The two genins eyes widened. The Kagebunshin. How could they have both forgotten that jutsu. Specially Naruto himself. It was his only jutsu so far.

"but that means I will have to stay with the army." Said Naruto. "if im not with the Kagebunshin. I cannot replace them as soon as they are low on chakra."

Naruto was right. If he was not with the army, then he could not keep forming Kagebunshin to take their place. And if he could not do that, the Suzaku spy would know that the team was missing.

"Naruto. You aren't the only one who can use the technique." Said Kakashi.

Surely Kakashi wasn't thinking of keeping Sakura with the army. Even though she could perform the jutsu he had to know that she could only form two at best and still be alright for battle.

The next words that their sensei said stunned them.

"I'll stay and cover you two." Said the Cyclops

"but Kakashi sensei!" exclaimed Sakura. "we need you with us!"

"yes!" Naruto added. "what if the bearer is too strong for us?" he asked.

"Naruto." Said Kakashi softly. "remember our survival exam?" he asked and both genin nodded.

"the two of you, managed to trap me and I'm one of the top Jounin in the entire village of Konoha. Together you can take this bearer down. I have faith in you." Said the man.

"then why don't you leave us with the army and take on the bearer yourself?" asked Sakura. Surely the battle alongside the army would be easier for the two of them than the chase after the bearer.

"no. then the Sandaime would have sent me alone to catch him. This is a mission handed to the genin of team 7 by the Kage of our Village. I am your sensei. Me, completing this will do you two no good. I know you two can handle yourselves in a fight with ordinary soldiers. But unless you two catch the bearer, the Hokage will consider this a failed mission. Besides, there is also the matter of the Tokubetsu Jounin with the army. You two do not have the experience to take her on while keeping an eye out for anyone looking to take advantage of your distraction."

Kakashi made a valid point. It was indeed their mission to catch the bearer, but also they could not afford to return a team member short. There was no way that they were going to find an argument against Kakashi's explanation.

"get some sleep." Said the Jounin. "you two have a tiring day ahead, its vital you get all the rest you can."

Sakura stood up and walked into her room. Too absorbed in thought that she didn't hear Naruto say goodnight. Tomorrow, would be a busy day, and a nervous day at that. It would be the very first time, they did something regarding their mission, without their sensei to guide them.

* * *

**ALRIGHT!!! ITS DONE!!!**

**And yes…. the next chapter will have more action and less thoughts :P im sorry… its quite the style I write….**

**Anyways!!**

**REVIEW!! PLEASE!!! XD!!! **


	6. Chapter 6: Rush Hour

**:O So many reviews….**

**Grumbeard: Teme will make an appearance… I have major plans… n I will leave u in suspense!! mwahahahaha**

**Gilmaxter: I know! But hey… if it did… I wouldn't get to write this now would i?**

**Rasenganmaster777: ;) wouldn't it be fun to see a girl use it?**

**Roshane: they will never be godlike… that would just suck… and I had awesome plans for his wind element so yes he will have the wind with an additional element… I like to keep things in suspense so im not gonna tell u what it is… but certainly not lightning. And its too soon to try harnessing kyuubis powers.**

**Bobert4242: thanks… I will do that sometime. I kinda quite forgot earlier.**

**Cloud Ex-SOLDIER: thanks. I hate them too. And I hope to write longer chaps in the future.**

**To the randoms: Im sorry for the punctuation mistakes in my last chapter… rest knowing I will upload a corrected version very soon.**

**And the romance will come. But not yet. Let the story take its own direction. And get to things in time**

**Okay on to the chapter… wish me luck! My first piece of real action…. Im so nervous**

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Without Sasuke

Chapter 6 : Rush hour

The morning brought with it, all the hustle and bustle you would expect in a military stronghold. The entire Kanika army was forming into ranks, each man strapping their armor onto their bodies, arming themselves with weapons varying from katana, kodachi to long naginatas and spears. Some even armed themselves with their hunting bows and quivers of arrows.

Neither Naruto nor Sakura had seen such a mobilization of forces in their lives. Kakashi had in his earlier years as a ninja. He had been in one such mobilization, along with his team mates Uchiha Obito and Rin. The trio of Konoha-nin watched as the Kanika Samurai stepped out of their dojo, fully in Samurai armor.

Their armor plates were a brilliant red, much similar to the color of blood. Each of them shone with a new coat of polish, as if they were brand new suits. What astonished the two genin were how they held themselves. Though they were short in stature, each of the Kanika samurai appeared tall and strong, intimidating figures even when not in combat. They could only imagine what would happen when those very same blood red apparitions weaved through the enemy numbers, killing and maiming.

Tomoshiro Kanika and his samurai stepped onto a dais infront of the whole rebel army before he raised his arms.

"Now's your chance." Spoke Kakashi. "Remember what we talked about, this morning."

The two genin immediately vanished, having released their gravity seals, deciding to go over the wall and straight for the town they had found the bearer at. They needed to be fast, arrive before he left, trail him and take him out at the most opportune moment. Time was of the essence in this particular instance. Their mission had finally begun and they could not afford to botch it.

* * *

Kakashi walked alongside the trudging makeshift army of rebels as they made their way towards the mountain and their designated ambush site, the members walking alongside their supply carts.

The pace of their travel was excruciating for Kakashi. Being a fully trained ninja, he had always been someone to use his speed and agility to travel quickly. Starting from when he was a genin with his sensei and especially now, with his two genin who kept on increasing their speed every single day. And this pace was very boring for Kakashi. Besides, he could not keep his clones from speaking the entire trip. It would seem weird for the two genin not to speak. And the moment the two clones spoke would be the moment that the army knew that these were not the real genin.

Kakashi cursed at himself silently. It hadn't felt right to send the two alone, the both of them being so new and green to the world and I still didn't feel right. He knew he should have sent a clone with them. Even though it would be just to guide them, and not help in combat, he should have sent one

Kakashi saw Tomoshiro stop just up ahead and order a rest for the convoy. This was bad. In one way it would give the Suzaku more time to set up their ambush and two it would mean that he would have to be much more careful with his clones. But however, it also gave his genin some time to finish their real mission and get back to him.

Kakashi walked over to the Kanika leader, bowing before he spoke.

"Kanika-sama." He said. "Since we are at a rest, I would like it if you would allow me and my team to step away for a while in order to do some pre-battle training. Though my team has had experience in battle as I'm sure your son has told you, they still are young and are not prepared for the massive battle coming up."

Tomoshiro nodded, too occupied with the dealings with his force than to really bother with whatever he thought the Jounin was up to. Kakashi didn't complain though, the silver haired Cyclops just walked over to his clones before speaking in his normal low tones. The three of them jumped off into the trees, not many of the Kanika forces paying them any attention. Even if the spy thought that Kakashi would stumble upon the trap, there would be nothing he could do. A messenger would simply not get to the Suzaku camp in time.

* * *

The genin had found the treaty bearer almost just as soon as they reached the town. It had been easy. Too easy perhaps. Too easy that Naruto considered this to be a decoy.

"Naruto." Whispered Sakura as she lay on the roof just next to him. "Why would this be a decoy? I mean, the caravan is a decoy big enough to attract every single fly. And as far as they know it is working."

True. They were sure that the spy had not sensed anything wrong with the situation. If he had, Naruto knew that the treaty bearer would have been long gone. The treaty in the hands of Iwa and its shinobi forces mustering against this small rebel force that would then be crushed without a single ounce of mercy.

Yet he could not shake the gut feeling he had about this. The two genin had come upon the bearer and a few of the town's citizens just inside the town walls. They had had no trouble recognizing him. And sure enough he was preparing for a journey. However, so were the other 5 citizens present with the bearer and they both knew that all six of them were in concert.

"Sakura." Spoke Naruto. "I just don't understand why the others would be leaving alongside him, if they were not a decoy. Or maybe one of them has the treaty and the bearer is another decoy. Its possible."

Sakura noticed with a hint of sadness that he had stopped calling her Sakura-chan. It had annoyed her once that he was so loving when she had not wanted any attention from him at all. But now that they were closer, she missed that particular nickname.

Naruto made a valid point. With the other five traveling alongside the bearer, it meant that any of them could have the treaty and it was very likely that once they had a hint of an attack, they would all split up. And it would be very difficult to catch each single one before they reached the border.

"What do you think we should do?" she asked.

She had the book smarts. She knew she could answer each and every question that came to her from the academy text books. But she also knew that she was no strategist. That she would not be able to come up with a plan that would ensnare each and every one of the small traveling party. Besides it had been Naruto that had come up with the plan to get the bells from Kakashi.

"Genjutsu." He said simply.

"Genjutsu?" she echoed.

"yes." he replied. "Similar to the one we used on Kakashi-sensei during the survival test. We cast a genjutsu on them as they leave the gates."

He sat up and pointed towards a clump of trees a bit further from the village.

"We steer them in there. And we take them down one by one. Create the missing member as part of the genjutsu and let them continue. We can keep up with them if we leave a Kagebunshin to search their fallen comrade. I'm pretty sure they won't be able to detect or dispel the genjutsu on them. At least not until each and every single one of them has been taken down."

The plan was a bit simple thought Sakura, yet it was solid. They could always alter the plan according to the situation later on. So she nodded, and prepared herself for the minor illusion she was about to use on the unsuspecting group as they walked out the town gates.

* * *

Kakashi sat in a branch overlooking the Suzaku ambush camp set inside the forest. His gamble in heading here had paid off and he had located what seemed to be a large number of Suzaku Imperials preparing to ambush the Kanika.

He sighed before he scratched his head. He didn't quite like killing people that stood no chance against him, but it had to be done. For the greater good of the people of the country and for the greater good of Konoha.

The silver haired nin stood up on the branch before forming a seal.

The only words he spoke were "Suiton: Kirigakure No Jutsu." Before he disappeared into the deep mist that encompassed the camp.

The Kanika army would later come upon the remains of the camp, none of the tents nor equipment touched or destroyed, yet the bodies of at least two hundred Suzaku Imperials strewn about. All of them had died by a clean cut to a vital body part, mostly to the throat. The Kanika history books would say that whoever killed the Suzaku had done a clean, quiet and efficient job as none of the Imperials showed any evidence of fighting back. The books would also state that the man responsible for the deaths had not been found and had no connection to them. The ninja they had hired for the rebellion had been present with them the entire time of the march, and that had been when the massacre had taken place. Little did they know that the entire team that had traveled with them had been Kagebunshin left by the Konoha's Son of the White Fang.

* * *

Everything was a blur of green as Naruto and Sakura entered the small patch of Forest. The genjutsu had been a success and Sakura was sure that the bearer and his company knew nothing of it.

The first kill came easy, shuriken speeding from the treetops and embedding themselves in the face of the rear most rider. Sakura could only wince as she saw the man drop like a sack of rock, his place already filled in by an illusion she created.

It was straining work on her behalf, at least it would be when it was over. Though she had almost perfect chakra control, she had very little experience with such massive genjutsu and to keep it up would drain her of every drop of chakra she had.

The second man fell soon after, Kunai in throat as Naruto pushed him off his horse. A simple henge changed the blond boy into the man he had killed as well as relieved Sakura of some of the illusions she would have to create.

Sakura noticed that a Kagebunshin would immediately appear once their intended targets had fallen, immediately setting to search the fallen body. A nice tactic, one that would save them valuable time they could use to follow and incapacitate the rest of the treaty troop.

The third man died by Sakura's own hands, as she appeared behind him before slitting his throat. Another simple henge and his place was taken once again.

The fourth man to die died one of the most gruesome deaths that she had ever seen up to date. A sharpened trunk impaling him through the torso, the blood from the large hole, spattering all over the two remaining Suzaku and the two genin. Sakura's genjutsu faltered as the bile rose to her throat, the two remaining Suzaku noticing that their number had suddenly been cut by two.

The two immediately split up, veering in two opposite directions in order to throw off the pursuers. Both Naruto and Sakura went after one each, both of them abandoning the horses in preference of their chakra enhanced speed.

The Suzaku were fast. Naruto had to admit. They were managing to put their speed to the test as the two Imperials raced to exit the forest before they themselves fell prey to the chasing genin. Naruto dodged an incoming block of wood. One of the many traps the two genin had set up as they had had their Kagebunshin survey the group. The traps had been prepared as a way to kill and maybe even disable the Imperial movement through the forest, making it easier for the two genin to take them down. Yet, they were being more of a nuisance than a help.

Sakura was the first to take down her Imperial, going for the simple slicing of the horses tendons. The horses front legs buckled as it fell, the momentum transferred to the man, sending him flying. Sakura saw the man land and heard the sickening crunch as his neck broke from the impact. It hadn't been the way she had imagined she would kill the man, yet it was still acceptable.

Naruto's Imperial went under more torture than his counterpart. Naruto's first two Kunai embedding in his right arm as the man maneuvered in order to dodge the incoming projectiles. His rein arm disabled, the man had less control over his speeding mount, the horse swerving all over, making it even harder for the blond genin. When the Imperial finally came off his horse, he came off via a kick to the face by the enraged young genin. The man landed on his left side, breaking both his left leg and left arm in the process. Naruto saw the fear in the man's eyes as the imperial watched the young boy slash his throat. It was one thing to die at the hands of a young boy without knowing. But Naruto couldn't imagine the feeling that the man went through as he watched helplessly.

Neither of Naruto's men had the treaty, each of the clones turning up empty handed. Naruto himself turned up nothing, however Sakura fared much better with her latest kill. The scroll had been coiled around the man's midriff and he had not been the designated bearer.

A mind signal or two later, the clones converged to one point, each with their victims bodies lofted on their shoulders. They would leave no evidence of such an ambush, or even such a treaty party even existing. The two genin set fire to the bodies of the six men and left the forest in search of the rebel army, the treaty safely sealed into one of Naruto's scrolls.

Their mission was complete. Now, they needed to report to their sensei, and then help the Kanika rebels establish their dominance in the civil war.

* * *

The trap had been set, a large army of rebel warriors waiting for the right moment to spring it. Kakashi almost felt sorry for the approaching caravan. Little would they know that their intended plan had failed and Kakashi knew it would have been a full rout of the Suzaku Imperials had it not been for the tokubetsu Jounin.

The Kanika forces on the mountain tensed as the Suzaku caravan inched closer and closer. The timing of the first assault would be important as well as where it hit. If they hit it in the front, it would allow the rear of the caravan to flank the rebels, using their numbers as an aide to rally themselves. It would be the same if they hit it in the rear. The perfect place to hit the caravan would be in the middle. It would cause the front of the caravan to turn around, costing them valuable time coming to the others defence. It would also cause the rear to fall into confusion once the chain of command had been cut. Once again, the timing of the assault would be important.

The caravan consisted of what appeared to be a few supply carts surrounded by numerous amounts of organized Imperials. A troop of about forty Imperials led the caravan followed by another troop after which came the carts. The carts were ringed by at least two more troops. The last two troops bringing up the rear.

The Kanika Mountain top force started inching their way downwards the moment the head of the caravan reached the end of the ridge. A slow crouch walk soon turned into a full sprint, the Samurai leaping off the ridge in full strides.

The Samurai unleashed a hail of arrows while in mid air, each of their lethal warheads finding a target. The peasants that came behind them, slamming into the Suzaku lines as if a hammer was slamming into a brick wall. The Suzaku line broke, numbers of them falling under the sudden onslaught. Kakashi and his two Kagebunshin entered the fray behind the peasants, the Jounin heading straight towards the grass Nin.

The Suzaku line recovered quickly, confirming Kakashi's suspicions of their knowledge of the attack, the head of the caravan immediately turning around and rushing the Kanika Samurai. Some of them headed towards the carts, unveiling behind the thick cloth some sort of siege engine. (Think of a ballista) Kakashi gave the operator no time to settle into the engine, immediately releasing a few kunai that toppled the man from the turret. He could spare no time to pick off the rest as the Tokubetsu Jounin had settled into her stride, slowly but surely picking off Kanika numbers with simple Kunai throws.

Kakashi's Kagebunshin made short work of any Suzaku to step into their path, slitting throats and stabbing vital organs as if it they were slabs of meat hung in a butchers shop, careful enough not to use ninjutsu. Ninjutsu would surely give the identity of the clones away. It was then that the flanking Kanika forces from the forest slammed into to the flank of the Suzaku Imperials. Caught in between two attacking forces, the Suzaku line crumpled into a very disorganized rabble of men, each fighting for their own lives and with no sort of coherency. This proved to be their final minutes as the Kanika Samurai easily cut them down, lessening the Suzaku numbers to a handful along with the grass Jounin.

Kakashi relaxed a bit, thinking the battle was done. All that was left for him to do was to take down the Jounin. In his state of absent mindedness, Kakashi was barely able to twist himself around to dodge the giant arrowhead that pierced the air near him. He saw one of the Kanika samurai get hit by the arrow, sending the man flying through the air. More arrows came flying through the air, throwing Kanika soldiers to the ground, killing some outright. Kakashi managed a look towards the direction the caravan had come from and saw another separate convoy of Suzaku Imperials and their siege engines positioned there.

Kakashi's eyes met those of Tomoshiro Kanika, and the rebel leader nodded. Kakashi knew how strongly Tomoshiro felt about this cause and knew that he would give his life if need be, for the freedom of his people. The rebel leader drew his sword and charged the new Suzaku line, his followers charging behind him, each yelling their own battle cry. Kakashi stood still, indecisive for a moment. He wanted to charge the siege engines alongside the Kanika, minimize their losses, yet that would leave their flank open to the Tokubetsu Jounin, who could inflict the same amount of casualties as the siege engines could.

He felt two familiar chakra sources nearby and his mind was made up instantly. His genin would have no trouble with the siege engines; however, the Grass Nin had to go, willingly or not. With a silent deep breath, the Konoha Jounin shunshined towards the Grass Nin at top speed.

* * *

Tomoshiro Kanika slammed into the Suzaku lines along with his ever faithful samurai with force he had never applied before. He felt his katana shatter under the impact leaving no amount of sharpened metal on his wooden handle. The veteran Samurai immediately snatched up the sword his opponent had dropped, rolling on to his feet, slashing a man's hamstrings in the process.

The man fell, a guttural cry emitting from his throat before the same sword silenced it forever. Tomoshiro twisted the sword, flicking all the blood on the blade into the face of an onrushing Imperial, causing the man to falter and wipe at his face. It was all the time the Kanika leader needed to drive the point of his newly acquired weapon between the ribs of the man.

Tomoshiro turned around to see one of his samurai fall, a giant arrowhead embedded between his shoulder blades, its metal point sticking out from his chest. Someone needed to take care of the engines; it was the only thing that made their forces equal in this battle.

To his left, Masato was spinning and slashing his way through a few Suzaku who hoped to outnumber him. To his right, the peasant army that had come to him for guidance were holding their own against the fully trained Imperials. His Samurai, though lessened by a few, were slicing him a path towards the siege engines and who appeared to be the leader of this particular expedition.

The dead camp in the forest, the entire caravan they had ambushed, and this new troop that equaled the caravan in number. It seemed as if the Suzaku were also hoping to end the civil war in this single battle as well.

Tomoshiro wondered where the two Konoha genin had disappeared to in the fight. They had been present at the start, their help invaluable in shocking the Imperials. The Jounin, he knew had gone after the Grass Nuke-nin that the Suzaku had hired. Yet the genin were nowhere to be seen.

"Father!" came a yell from Masato and Tomoshiro whirled around to see one of the siege engines point at him.

If it fired, he knew he stood no chance of surviving that giant arrow head. There was a sudden flash of orange as one of the two Konoha genin appeared on top of the engine, slashing the operators face. It was then that he noticed that none of the other engines had operators in them either, the pink haired girl dodging and weaving through the Imperials as she used her shorter stature and the flexibility that came with her age to cut and slash them where it hurt.

Tomoshiro had never had time to watch the Konoha Nin do battle. But the few moments he saw then as he watched the two genin use a mixture of hand-to-hand combat and weapon skills to take down and kill their opponents could only make him wonder what sort of killing machines they would make when they were older.

* * *

Kirame Kiyoko had been having a rather dull time until the Kanika rebels had attacked. She had been hired by the Suzaku, to deliver the caravan safely to the Iwa border where they would negotiate a treaty and also her acceptance into Iwa.

Kiyoko had never been one to be allied to a certain village. To be bound by rules and regulations was simply not her thing. It had been the major reason she had left her home village of the Grass and become a nin for hire. However a battle was not something she would miss and the Suzaku had promised that she would get a large number of Kanika rebels to kill at her leisure. Best of all, they had also agreed to pay her for each of the rebels she killed. However, they had failed to mention the presence of Konoha nin amongst the Kanika. It complicated things. If she managed to kill even one of them, she decided that she would need to get paid for the extra effort.

Kiyoko had been keeping an eye on the three Nin from Konoha the moment she had realized what they were. The two genin, she knew she could take easily, yet the Jounin, she wasn't able to identify. Mainly due to the fact that he kept disappearing each time he made a kill.

It was not until he appeared next to her, a kunai rushing towards her face that she realized who he was. Kiyoko barely managed to duck the kunai stab, swiping at his stomach with her own causing him to flip back and land in front of her.

"Hatake Kakashi, Son of the White Fang." She breathed as she got a proper look at her opponents face.

Fighting a Jounin would be something she could do any day. After all, she had been only ranked Tokubetsu Jounin before she had left her village and that had been at least two to three years ago. And she considered herself to have improved in the time she spent as a freelance ninja. However, Hatake Kakashi had been a name she had heard and feared even in her days as a grass Nin and she had not had a year pass where that name had not been feared anywhere. If she had improved, why wouldn't he?

"I'm surprised you know me." Stated the man, as he scratched his head. "I didn't think the stories about me would reach your village."

Kiyoko didn't wait for the man to finish, instead rushing at him with a kunai in mid sentence. She vanished, reappearing behind Kakashi, a slash aimed at his back. Her slash struck empty air as the Jounin vanished himself. A slight gust of wind alerted her to his presence to her left, but she was too slow to avoid the blow that came.

Fast! She thought as she rolled with the blow, immediately putting some distance between her and the Konoha-nin. This was one fight she had not bargained for.

"You're good." He said as he put his left hand in his pocket, putting himself in a ready stance. "but you're not good enough."

The Konoha Jounin wasted no further time, launching a couple of shuriken at her. The shuriken in itself were no problem yet Kiyoko was indecisive. Any move she made could go according to his plan and she could not let him control the whole battle.

"Kage shuriken no jutsu" came his voice and what happened next almost caught out the tokubetsu Jounin.

The rather small amount of shuriken rapidly multiplied as they approached, forcing Kiyoko to shunshin herself out of their way.

Kiyoko reappeared what she assumed to be a safe distance away from Kakashi, a distance from which she could start launching her own attacks, yet again, he was one step ahead of her. The heat of the smaller fireballs from Kakashi's Katon, Housenka no Jutsu was the only thing that warned her of the impending danger, allowing her to Kawarimi out of harms way.

Kiyoko performed the Kawarimi once again, hoping to buy herself some time to calm down and come up with a counter plan. If only she could recall everything the bingo book had said on Kakashi. She knew he had an ace up his sleeve, something that made him very powerful, yet she somehow could not put her finger on it. She knew that it had something to do with a doujutsu, yet, the silver haired man simply did not give her enough time to think.

Kiyoko heard the whistling of kunai slicing through the air and was barely able to perform her own hand seals in time. The earth wall suddenly popping up to block the wave of projectiles coming her way. Kiyoko didn't stop there, immediately forming more handseals for the Doryuudan, the dragon head forming from the wall she had flipped up and spitting the mud balls at the onrushing Jounin.

Kiyoko watched as the balls hit the Jounin with a satisfying thud, yet she knew it would not be that easy to take him down. However, she never expected him to vanish in a puff of smoke.

Bunshin! She realized. Yet what kind of bunshin would be solid enough to take a blow and then disappear in a puff of smoke? Surely not Tsuchibunshin or Mizubunshin. Kiyoko felt something grab her leg and looked downwards. A hand had just broken out of the ground and grabbed her. The realization that Kakashi had a hold on her drove her into a panicked state and she replaced herself with a log in a hurry.

It wasn't until she met Kakashi's sharingan the moment she replaced the log that it finally came to her what she had forgotten. His hypnotic ability due to the sharingan. But it was already too late. The blackness of Kakashi's tomoe engulfed her, knocking her unconscious.

* * *

Masato stood in the aftermath of the battle, looking at the numbers of bodies strewn about him. He had lost count of the number of Imperials he had killed. People that had fought for the country, for what they had felt right. People that had not known what the Suzaku Government were doing behind their backs. People that just fought, because they wanted to protect their country, be it from rebels or enemy invaders. Some of these Imperials, had not even deserved death in this battle today.

Masato stood, frozen solid as a block of stone, as he watched the members of the rebel army lift and carry their wounded allies and enemies to whatever doctors that they had brought along with them. He had never imagined such carnage such as this when he had charged down that slope along with his section. He had never imagined that he would leave so many bodies in his wake, some dead, some dying, with legs and arms chopped off, their guts hanging out of their bellies. He had never thought he would hear the screams of the injured as the pain finally registered in their adrenaline filled bodies, as they were sewn up or left to die. Some he even heard begging for a sword instead of life.

Masato roughly counted their losses. They had lost half of what they had begun the battle with, most dying at the hands of the terrible siege engines that had been unleashed upon them. They had been almost at breaking point, almost ready to turn around and run until the two genin from Konoha had taken out the siege machine operators.

He watched as the orange clad genin helped with all the heavy moving, creating clones to lift large numbers of bodies and carrying them to their deserved places be it grave or bed. The pink haired girl was sitting alongside a doctor, helping him mend the wounded bodies of friend and foe alike. Live and let live. After this battle, he would take that option over kill or be killed any day.

* * *

The battle had gone well for the rebels. As well as Tomoshiro could have hoped for, something he had doubted the moment the second caravan had shown up. They had managed one convincing victory over the much superior Imperial forces. It was the main reason for the sudden influx of people wanting to join the army from all over the country. Tomoshiro could attribute the win to just two children. People might find it wierd in the future yet the genin had made up for the slight falter he and his army had made. They had been the ones to really turn around that battle and it would never leave the rebel armies memories how two kids had done it.

Tomoshiro could not help but reflect on yesterdays battle as he watched the two genin have their breakfast together while chatting peacefully. They seemed as if nothing had happened not 24 hours ago. As if they had not killed a lot of people and had remained as innocent as they had been born.

The rebel movement had taken casualties. Many had died in the fighting. But Tomoshiro could only feel happy and grateful towards the three Konoha-nin without whom they would not have won this particular battle, and what seems like the entire war. They would always owe Team 7 a huge debt, and though Tomoshiro had wished that Konoha had sent him a Jounin team in the beginning, he knew he would be sad to see them go.

Tomoshiro had watched the battle between the two Jounin. Atleast as much of it as he could follow with his untrained eyes and it would be safe to say he had never seen anything like it.

However, it was the fact that a team of full Jounin from Konoha had arrived that bothered him. Kakashi had said that it would be atleast a week before the team arrived, yet here they were, three days since Team 7 had arrived themselves.

Tomoshiro was happy in one sense. It would mean he would have a much formidable team to rely on, a team whose talents and abilities had been tested to their fullest. Yet somehow, he could not shake the feeling that it meant more for the young genin. Something he couldn't quite get a hold of. Not to mention that Kakashi had disappeared with the Jounin seemingly in charge of the mission

Tomoshiro glanced up as he heard footsteps approaching him.

"gomen, Kanika-sama." Came Kakashi's voice. "Gomen for both disturbing you during your meal time and for asking you of this. But the Hokage wishes a duty for me and my team and it is imperative that we leave as soon as we can. The Jounin team that arrived today shall take over our duties."

Tomoshiro looked at Kakashi hoping the Jounin would let something slip about their mission, yet he could not read any emotion in the jounin's face. The mask that the man wore didn't help either. It made him completely impossible to read but then again, it would be what Kakashi wanted himself.

Tomoshiro had no choice but to nod. Kakashi wasn't asking permission to leave. He was merely notifying their employer of their change in plans. They would leave, no matter what he said and by any means necessary and Tomoshiro wasn't so keen on losing more men over a couple of shinobi.

The rebel leader watched the Jounin as he approached his team. Tomoshiro could not hear the exact words that were said. Yet he knew that they were few and direct as the genin stood up and left, leaving their plates unfinished. It had to be urgent for them to skip breakfast. Tomoshiro could only hope that it wasn't something bad.

* * *

**DONE!!!**

**Ok… so maybe the ending was a bit rushed…. But u will not imagine how many nights I lost sleep over the freaking fight scene between Kiyoko and Kakashi.**

**Anyways…. Sorry for the lateness… my boss is on leave… and I have had to take over a lot of her duties till she's back…. So… I will be even busier for the next few days. Besides… my practice sessions also run every two days… WCG!!!**

**Ok ok…. Enough…**

**REVIEW!!!!**


	7. Chapter 7: Rapid Deployment

Dudtheman: yayyy!! Thank you! :P

JeremiahB : Me too bro, me too.

Stiehl : you are right in both ways ;) read this one to find out

Essex: I think it was only coz they were non ninjas. And the riders had little to no combat experience.

Cloud: Sorry. They aren't really ready for a big baddy yet, their first has to be Haku for things to go as planned. The rest wont fit if I bring in someone new. Its not a video game you know, to have a boss fight at the end of every chapter :P

Ugh… so that you guys are informed earlier… I hate AN… and as such… I want to tell you that I will be creating some of my own jutsu as well, and as for now, since I do not know any Japanese and simply do not like to use a translator, all of my own and some of others will be used with their English names.

I know I know, I could have used them in the beginning. But, I find the Japanese names much cooler, and I do not want to insult Kishimoto's genius in creating these moves.

Anyways!!! Read! :P

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 7: Rapid Deployment

Sakura heard her stomach grumble as she sped through the trees alongside Naruto. She silently cursed herself for not having dinner last night, but she doubted she would have been able to had she known that she would have to race against time yet again the following morning. Whatever it was that the new Jounin squad had told Kakashi had to be important for their sensei to interrupt their meal. She knew it was also urgent by the pace that the Jounin had set once they had set off from the Kanika camp.

Sakura looked at Kakashi as she jumped from branch to branch. The man was too lost in thought or was too deep in concentration to even notice that both she and Naruto had their gazes fixed on him. She wondered what it could have been that had bothered him so much. All she knew was that they were headed towards Konoha. But the time for answers would be later, when they stopped for a rest.

Kakashi called a halt sometime around noon, asking them to quickly have lunch as they had a lot of ground to cover. Thankfully, they had some bento boxes the Kanika cooks had made them before they left and the two genin dug into them gratefully.

Kakashi had vanished as soon as they had started eating only appearing once again when they were almost done.

"Kakashi-sensei." Called Naruto, his mouth stuffed with the last of the rice from his bento box. "Why the sense of urgency?" he asked as he resealed the bento box as did Sakura.

The silver haired man glanced at the two genin, a look that told them that there was a lot to explain and that what they heard they might not like

"I'll explain once we are in the trees." Said Kakashi as he jumped up onto a branch. "I've done some scouting and we've made much more ground than I hoped to during the past few hours which means we can slow down now."

Sakura let out a sigh of relief as she jumped up after Kakashi, Naruto following close behind. Even though she had a new training regime that worked her to her limits, her previous meager diet had left her muscles sorely underdeveloped and she was still catching up in that department. Atleast now it would be a lot lighter on her legs.

Once they had set a steady pace, Kakashi spoke. "The Jounin sent from Konoha brought with them another mission request. One that I had thought slightly delayed until we returned. But there has been a slight complication."

"Complication?" echoed Sakura, as she jumped from branch to branch with ease.

"Yes. It seems that a team has taken the mission reserved for us, without going through the proper procedures and now, they seem to be in trouble." Said Kakashi.

"What kind of trouble?" asked Naruto as he appeared on the other side of Kakashi.

"A Konoha Hunter-nin has reported sightings of an A rank missing-nin in the area. The hunter-nin never reported in after that so the Hokage wants us to go and back up that team." Said the Jounin.

"Whose team is that?" Asked Sakura, curious as to who would have taken that mission. "Ino's?"

Kakashi shook his head and glanced at both of the genin before uttering one name. "Sasuke."

Both genin faltered, Naruto missing the branch while Sakura barely managed to grab onto it with one hand.

"Sasuke-kun?" she asked as the both of them hoisted themselves up to face the now stationary Kakashi.

"yes." he said with his trademark hand through hair. "I do not know the full detail. All I know is that he went on the mission, along with two other genin and one freshly promoted Jounin."

It was Naruto's turn to speak. "How did he get a team? I thought you sent him back to the academy."

Kakashi nodded. "I did. The Hokage did not disclose much detail about the squad to the Jounin. I am assuming that this was a team formed by the council rather than the Hokage himself."

"Why would they do that?" asked Sakura in disbelief. Did the council not understand why he was sent back to the academy in the first place?

"It's simple." Replied Kakashi. "The Uchiha Clan has one of the most powerful Doujutsu in the whole of the shinobi world much less Konoha. The council feels that Konoha is weak without the Sharingan to safe keep them and Sasuke being the only one with Uchiha blood, is now royalty to them."

Sakura felt her head reel. Even after the survival training, she had hoped deep down in her heart that he would see the light and the advantages of teamwork. Though he had virtually destroyed her crush on him, she still felt drawn to him every now and then.

"But every team goes through the survival test right?" asked Naruto. Sakura silently thanked him for his interruption. She had not wanted to focus her thoughts on what might be happening to Sasuke at this very moment.

"no." said Kakashi. "All the teams that go through the Hokage undergo the test as this is something the Hokage feels is compulsory for each team. However, it is different in Sasuke's team."

"How?" asked Sakura.

"For one thing, it is a team formed by the council for Sasuke. So it means they won't risk him being sent back by the Jounin. Thus they wouldn't have gotten the test." Said the silver haired man.

"Who do you think is in the team?" asked Naruto. "Teme better not have disbanded an existing team for this." He added with a slight growl.

Sakura had thought about Naruto's and Sasuke's rivalry for a while and still wasn't able to find head nor tail of it. All she knew is that both of them hated each other with a passion. A passion she would love to know the origin of.

"All I know is it's a fully new team. The genin are actually last year academy students, pulled out early so that he'd have a team. The Jounin is freshly promoted with little experience in running a team."

"Let me guess. They were all bullied into it." Snorted Naruto.

Sakura would have bashed Naruto in the head had she not seen Kakashi nod at his statement.

"Bullied? By whom?" she asked, though in her mind she hoped it was not her Sasuke-kun.

"The council has a way of convincing people to do their bidding regardless of what they feel." Said Kakashi. "I think it is best we be on our way now. We never know when the team will come across the Nuke-nin."

With that, the three sped off again, towards what the two genin assumed to be the other team and their rightful mission.

The team jumped at a medium pace, fast enough to catch up to a team that walked yet slow enough not to tire the two genin out.

Naruto was so lost in thought that he nearly ran past Kakashi as the Jounin stopped. The only thing stopping him being the silver haired mans gloved hand holding his shirt.

Naruto stopped as Kakashi pointed a finger towards the road below. His blue eyes coming to rest on the 5 people heading towards them. Sure enough, they had found the team from Konoha, if it even could be called a team.

Naruto heard Sakura groan and glanced at her. The pink haired girl was looking at the squad, hiding her face behind one hand.

"Sakura-chan?" he whispered to her, curious as to why she had groaned.

"Don't tell me they haven't noticed the puddle." She said as she pointed to a very small puddle laying on the road in front of them. Genjutsu realized Naruto. There had been no rain at all that day and no way that there could be such a puddle.

"Tane knows." Whispered Kakashi as he watched the two.

"Tane?" echoed Naruto. "The Jounin? You know him?"

Kakashi nodded. "I was the one who conducted his Jounin exam. Just a day before I gave you two the survival exam. He's a bright one, though a bit lacking in the leadership area."

"Should we go in?" Asked Sakura.

"No." stated Kakashi. "There are two Shinobi hidden in that puddle. And by the look of it, neither of them are A ranked."

Sakura looked at Kakashi in awe. How did Kakashi know how many shinobi were hidden in that puddle? And more, how did he know what rank they were? Is this what a Jounin truly is? She wondered.

Kakashi held up a hand as the Konoha team neared passed the puddle, the Jounin giving it a wary glance but dismissing it. That move in itself gave Sakura the impression that he in fact did not know about the genjutsu but she guess that was exactly what he wanted them to feel.

A head slowly formed from the puddle, revealing a slashed mist headband. Nuke-nin, thought Sakura. This would be their first encounter with Nin from another village in a hostile situation. But she was ready. The most difficult part had gone, their first kills. Now all they needed were the skills and the Jutsu to be able to take on almost any ninja in their path.

Naruto tensed again as if he was going to jump in and engage the enemy but Kakashi held him back. "We only go in if they need us. It is important that not even the genin know of our presence."

Naruto clenched his teeth and separated from the team, him and Sakura inching closer to the group in two different directions. Kakashi knew that even though that Naruto was itching for a fight, the boy would control himself.

The genin of team 7 were almost on top of the Konoha team when the two mist Nin attacked. They burst from the puddle, immediately wrapping the Jounin in a barbed chain before ripping him into shreds.

Fast! Thought Sakura as she watched the two Nuke-nin charge the genin non-stop. She silently urged them to move but she assumed that the 'death' of their sensei had frozen them. She saw Naruto grit his teeth harder. A moment more and she knew he would intervene.

Tane himself was running through the bushes towards his team. Somehow, for some reason, the log he had replaced himself with had not been so close by and he was hard pressed to reach his team in time. He reached the team just in time to see a kunai come out of the bushes and pin the chain to a tree, surprising the Nin. A figure then appeared in a puff of smoke taking the two Nin out in one smooth blow.

Tane walked out of the bushes as the smoke disappeared and looked at the man who had just appeared.

"Impeccable timing as usual sempai." He said with a smile. "Sometimes I wonder why you must be so tardy to other things."

The silver haired man returned the smile. "Seemed like you could have used the extra pair of hands." He said, nodding over to the trembling genin as he tied the two unconscious nin to a tree stump.

"What brings you here Sempai?" Asked Tane as he helped the senior Jounin.

"Oh, I was going back to Konoha after a mission and felt your chakra signature and thought I'd say hi." Stated the man as he stood up.

Tane nodded. "Somehow I do not believe you Sempai." He said with narrowed eyes.

"The Hokage received a report from ANBU that a missing-nin was in the area. Felt an unfamiliar chakra signature here so I came." Said Kakashi. "Word is that one of the Seven Swordsman is nearby."

Tane's eyes widened. "Mist?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Nuke-nin."

"Do you know who?" asked Tane, the worry apparent in his voice.

Kakashi was barely able to shake his head before a new voice interrupted their conversation.

"So, Kakashi. Where are the other two? Dead yet?" asked Sasuke as he walked over.

"No, no." said Kakashi as he turned around to face the Uchiha. "They are around and training hard" said the Jounin nonchalantly.

Sasuke made a dramatic show of looking around for them. "huh." He said. "I don't see them. Guess they must have run off. Scaredy cats."

Up in the trees, Naruto was having trouble holding Sakura back from pummeling Sasuke into the ground. Though he had imagined Sasuke getting pummeled, he had never imagined him having to hold HER back from doing it.

"They are around Sasuke-kun." Said Kakashi with a smile. "And they are better than you think." He finished.

Sasuke snorted. "A dobe will always be a dobe, Kakashi. It won't stop the inevitable." He said as he walked away from the two Jounin.

"Sempai, If I may ask a favor." Spoke the younger Jounin.

"ask." Said Kakashi as he walked alongside Tane.

"I would really appreciate it if you could accompany us at least until we reach the bridge builders house." He said pausing hesitantly. "I am not quite ready to lead a team of Chuunin let alone a team of fresh undergraduate Genin."

"Undergraduate?" asked Kakashi with wide eyes.

"Yes. Both Hisemi and Heni are undergraduate, the top of the current academy class."

It finally hit Kakashi, the magnitude of the council's decision to form a team for Sasuke. "Why did you take the mission then? You know they are not ready for this."

Tane bowed his head. "I requested for some D ranks but Sasuke insisted that he was ready for a C rank. This was the only one available."

Kakashi looked at Tane. "So what is your mission?"

Tane sighed. "Protect the bridge builder till he finishes the bridge. It was supposed to be a simple C rank. But with the new twist should be the more expensive A rank."

Kakashi nodded. "It seems like we need to get some answers from our client."

Tane nodded. He was having mixed feelings about the mission. Even with Kakashi along, things would be hairy and he knew his genin would be almost of no help. It would all come down to how well Kakashi had trained his team.

The moment of truth came soon for the bridge builder, whose name Kakashi found out to be Tazuna. The two Jounin threatening to abandon the mission on terms of falsified information by the client. Tazuna soon gave in, stating that he would explain everything during the crossing to the Wave country. It would be the only time that he would be able to tell them the whole tale.

Tazuna started at the beginning of the whole crisis, from when Gato first came to the country and started monopolizing the transport of the goods between the small island nation and the main land. He explained to the Jounin and Team 11 as they were now known that Gato had gained this monopoly by any means necessary, be it by hook or by crook. He also described the state Gato had driven his country to, the poverty he had been the cause of, by imposing the large taxes and fees for the transport of every little thing including food for the citizens.

The country was slowly going bankrupt he said, even the rich losing all their money just trying to import food for themselves. Their only hope of breaking out of this poverty being the bridge Tazuna was building. It would allow traders from the mainland and even the citizens from the Wave to transport goods and even themselves to and from the mainland without any cost. And Gato would never let that happen.

He would try by any means to stop the bridge from reaching completion, even if he had to hire Nin to kill the builder and Tazuna believed that both the Mist Nuke-nin as well as the Demon Brothers were hired by Gato to kill him. Kakashi understood. Gato had the money to hire any amount of any level Shinobi to kill the bridge builder, yet the bridge builder had a limited budget to hire some to protect him.

They finally agreed to continue the mission. Both of the Jounin saying they would find another way to pay for the upgrade. It was the least to say that Tazuna was pleased. It would have been certain poverty for the Wave had they turned back and sent the old man alone to his sure death. Now, if they succeeded in completing the bridge, the Wave would owe the Leaf Village for everything they were to gain by it.

Naruto and Sakura had one of the dullest nights ever during the crossing to the Wave. Kakashi and Team 11 had gotten to ride in a boat the whole distance, but the genin of Team 7 had had to water walk the whole way to the island.

Sakura thought back to the night as they silently haunted the other Konoha team through the trees. She wouldn't have claimed it a total loss. Though they hadn't slept, staying up talking to each other as they kept an eye on the sleeping Konoha squad, she had managed to learn a lot about her blond teammate. A lot that made her think about him yet again in a different sense than she had during the past few weeks.

He was deeper, she realized. His mask had started falling off his face. The pain he had felt showing in his eyes to her, though she still doubted anyone else would be able to see it so clearly. He hadn't explained the reason for the pain, but she assumed it had something to do with the way the villagers treated him. She still remembered what she had seen during her visit to the hospital with him.

She had decided she wouldn't push for it. It was obvious to her that he was opening up slowly. Letting her deeper into himself, showing her the deeper reaches of his personality. He hadn't shown her everything. Maybe he never would. But she decided to let him do it in his own time.

She would have continued her train of thought had her eyes not caught a white snow rabbit amidst the bushes. Snow rabbits changed color according to the amount of sunlight that hit their body. White was their winter color and this being summer, this snow rabbit should be brown. It left only one possible explanation. This was a rabbit which had been just released from captivity and there was only one reason for someone to release it this far away from their home. Kawarimi. She glanced at Naruto and their eyes met. He had seen it too and knew what it meant. There was going to be an attack soon.

Tane had forgotten all about Kakashi's genin the moment they had boarded the small motor boat and started their crossing only remembering them the moment they had woken up the next day. He had immediately fallen into a slight state of panic thinking they had left them behind. After all, they were his only real hope of keeping the bridge builder safe once a fight broke out. Depending on the Nuke-nin's caliber, it would take Kakashi's full concentration to take him down and Tane himself would have his hands full with the Demon Brothers. Tane had no guarantee that Tazuna would be safe were he to fall under attack by any ninja or even hired mercenaries while the two Jounin were kept busy.

Yet, the two chakra sources were still there when they had walked off. That meant the genin had crossed, but Tane was certain that they had not boarded the boat even under genjutsu. It had simply been too light. That left only one other option. Water walking and for two genin to be able to water walk after only 1 single month of training was impressive.

Tane filed more questions to ask Kakashi later as he walked along. He needed to find out how the two genin had improved that much. He also wanted to find out why there were only two genin and not the usual three. He would have asked Kakashi had it not been for Sasuke's question.

"What are you doing here Kakashi? Won't your two little charges die without you to save them?" asked the black haired boy with an arrogant smile.

Tane had never really heard Sasuke speak since he had joined the team as their sensei but he noticed that Sasuke never lost his haughtiness whenever he spoke. He knew by the way that Sasuke spoke that he and Kakashi had some sort of history with each other.

"Oh. I'm here just because your sensei asked me to." Said the silver haired Jounin, not even bothering to turn around to face the Uchiha. "They have a better chance of surviving by themselves than you do." He finished.

"You can't compare clanless Nin to me, the last remaining member of the elite Uchiha clan. I'll beat them any day." Said Sasuke.

"Well, the so called clanless nin passed a test that you, the elite Uchiha couldn't even understand. I wouldn't be so full of myself if I were you." Said Kakashi as he walked on.

There was a sudden dim in the two chakra signatures in the trees. A signal, Tane realized and readied himself for an impending attack. He knew Kakashi had noticed as the senior Jounin's voice had a ready edge to it.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was furious. "I took you on myself! Out in the open as well! But they only got those bells through trickery!"

"Teamwork isn't trickery Sasuke." Said Kakashi, obviously keeping up an act of being unaware of the enemy shinobi present.

Whoever it was, was good. Tane could barely pick up his chakra signature. Must not be a sensory type or else he would have gone after the two in the trees and that would complicate things.

"Call it what you want Kakashi. It's not going to change anything. A dobe will always be a dobe. Nothing will teach them talent they don't have and unfortunately for them, they don't have the genius I do."

Sasuke would have had continued his ranting had it not been for the body of Tane knocking him to the floor with a loud whoompf. The Jounin knew the Uchiha would have turned on him had it not been for the dull thud of the large Zanbato embedding itself in a tree. Sasuke cursed, he had been saved again. First by Kakashi when he intervened with the two Mist Nin. Now, by Tane who had obviously knocked him from the path of the large blade.

A deep throaty laughter echoed through the forest as the Konoha Nin rightened themselves. "it seems that Konoha Nin aren't too shabby at all." Spoke a voice.

Kakashi smiled as he looked up at the man standing on his sword. "You underestimate us Zabuza. Though I expected someone strong to come along with the Demon Brothers, I never expected it to be someone of your caliber."

"My, my, my." Spoke the man as he turned around to face Kakashi. "My first real encounter with Konoha nin and I get to fight the infamous Copy Ninja, the man who is said to have copied over a thousand Jutsu."

"Momochi Zabuza, Bloody Demon of the Hidden Mist. Prepare yourself. I don't have time to play with you" Said Kakashi, his hand going up to his headband.

Zabuza vanished, reappearing on the pool in front of them. "What an honor, to see the legendary Sharingan on our very first meeting. Very well, in that case I shall not hold back either. Kirigakure no Jutsu."

Sharingan? Though Sasuke. That couldn't be. Only Uchiha blood had the Sharingan. It was their Bloodline Limit and as far as he knew Kakashi was not an Uchiha.

Up in the trees, Naruto watched as thick mist rolled in from all the sides, impairing their vision and hiding the battle from them. Even he could not see any further than the tip of his fingers from where he was.

"Sasuke, Heni, Hisemi. Protect the bridge builder at all costs. Do not get separated." Said Tane as he took out a kunai ready to back Kakashi up if need be.

The intensity of the situation was overwhelming for the genin of Team 11. Their small hands white from gripping their Kunai as tight as they could. The urge to kill themselves increasing as they sought a way to free themselves from such killing intent.

"Hmmm." Came Zabuza's voice from the mist causing everyone to start looking around. "8 points. Liver, heart, spine, Jugular vein, Clavical vein, Brain, Lungs, Kidney. Which one shall I aim for?"

Kakashi immediately formed a seal before blowing the mist away with a blast of his Ki but Zabuza was already in position behind the bridge builder.

"It's over." Said the mist Nin as he swung his large zanbato.

The genin dived away from the sword, intent on saving their own lives and leaving the bridge builder to fend for himself. Tazuna closed his eyes, waiting for his end to come. He knew he would not be fast enough to avoid the blow and was surprised when a body knocked into him sending him sprawling in the dirt.

He looked up just in time to see Kakashi shove a kunai into the stomach of Zabuza, water immediately pouring out of the wound. Water? Thought Tazuna as he saw the man burst into nothing but water. A shinobi technique, the man realized in awe of the skill shown between the two Jounin.

Another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi, immediately decapitating the Konoha nin who also turned into water. Zabuza was taken aback at this. When had Kakashi managed to copy his jutsu let alone use it? His train of thought was broken as a kunai slammed home just beneath his ear.

The man turned into another puddle as a shadow appeared behind Kakashi, cleaving him into two with the gigantic zanbato. Zabuza expected this Kakashi to turn into a puddle as well but was surprised when the body disappeared in a poof of smoke instead. "Kagebunshin?" he thought as a chakra signature appeared behind him. The Kiri Nin was ready this time, pivoting on his heel as he delivered a powerful kick towards the signature.

Though there was no impact, Zabuza watched Kakashi flip back and instantly pressed him, swinging his Zanbato at the Konoha Nin. He smiled when Kakashi dived into the water to avoid the blade. It was game over.

Kakashi had not expected Zabuza to recover that fast. He had been hoping that the mixed usage of the two bunshin techniques would disorient the Kiri Nin and allow him to end the fight quick. He was about to move in for another attack when he heard the intonation for a jutsu from the Bloody Demon of the Hidden Mist.

"Souirou No Jutsu" spoke the man, extracting Kakashi from the water in a sphere of chakra controlled water.

Kakashi struggled to break free of the prison, trying to move his hands to his kunai holster for a weapon to slice the water with.

"Its not use, Kakashi." Said Zabuza. "My prison cannot be breached as long as I maintain physical contact with it. it is solely my chakra that makes it so strong. Try all you can though, it will only make it harder for you to breathe. But don't worry, you have enough time to watch my Mizubunshin take out the team and the bridge builder before you die." He said as he chuckled throatily.

Zabuza created a water clone which literally died on the spot.

"What?" thought Zabuza as he searched around for the man that had so easily killed his clone.

"Good job Sakura." Spoke Kakashi as he pocketed his kunai. "You can let go of the henge now."

Zabuza heard a poof and looked at the person he had caught in his prison. Instead of the legendary Copycat Sharingan no Kakashi, he had caught a young genin in one of his most prized jutsus.

Zabuza looked at Kakashi and spoke. "Don't tell me I have been fighting her all this time."

Kakashi shook his head. "No. You haven't. The first clone was mine, the second Naruto's, the third was Sakura whom you've caught there."

"It's over Zabuza." Continued Kakashi. "I've only used one clone while you yourself have used three plus the chakra for the Kirigakure no Jutsu and the Souirou. You would be hard pressed to beat me without your full chakra capacity."

Kakashi was right. He had used a lot of techniques while Kakashi had split the load between three people.

"You might want to let go of Sakura there, Zabuza." Tane called out. "The longer you hold it the less chakra you have to finish this fight with."

Zabuza was just about to release the jutsu when he heard a voice call out. "Suiton, Shinjuu Zanshu No Jutsu."

The Kiri Nin was barely able to look downwards before a hand grabbed his ankle and pulled him under the water. The hand let go of his leg the moment his hand had broken contact with the water prison. The Kiri nin resurfacing to see the girl and one boy clad in orange standing beside Kakashi.

"Mission, Rescue the Damsel in Distress has been a success!" yelled out the blonde boy unable to hold himself quiet any longer.

Kakashi nodded and began walking towards Zabuza. "Now that you have no one to use as a hostage, how about the two of us finish this? One on one."

Zabuza grinned as he slung his zanbato over his back. "Finally, I get to kill the strongest Konoha Jounin currently in service."

Kakashi revealed his Sharingan once again. "Know this, Zabuza. I never fall for the same trick twice and since I've seen your Souirou, I will not fall for it."

The two Jounin circled each other, Kakashi copying every single movement Zabuza made all the way down to the way he tilted his hand. The two then quickly flashed through handseals, both of them yelling out "Suiton, Suiryuudan No Jutsu!" at the same time.

Two similar dragons rose out from the large pool, clashing together above the two Nin and raining water on them while the two nin clashed Kunai against Zanbato underneath. It seemed to Zabuza as if Kakashi knew exactly each and every move he would make before he would make it.

"Stop copying me like a monkey!" said the Nin, both of them at the same time.

Zabuza's eyes widened. "How…"

"Did I know what you were going to say?" finished Kakashi for Zabuza.

"Can you…" started Zabuza as his eyes widened more.

"See the future?" Finished Kakashi again.

Zabuza had heard of Kakashi's copycat skills before and knew to what extent the man could copy others' movements. Yet this was something he had never heard of before. And to be honest, it was freaking him out.

Every move Zabuza made, Kakashi made at the same time. Be it a hand movement, a leg movement or be it the little victory jig Zabuza did after winning a battle. It was as if Kakashi knew exactly what he would do in the future.

"Stop copying me you damn monkey!" yelled Zabuza as he fired his hands through a set of hand seals, Kakashi forming the same ones at the same time. There was no way Kakashi would have seen this jutsu thought Zabuza and this made him fumble on the ending seal. Kakashi however did not, yelling "Suiton, Daibakufuu no jutsu."

The explosion that followed was one of the largest explosions either of the five genin had ever seen. The water ripping trees off of its roots as it flooded the surrounding area around it. The genin each resorting to their own methods to keep themselves from being washed away by the tidal waves. Zabuza, meanwhile, had been washed up against a tree and was hard pressed to catch his breath.

"How did you know what Technique it was?" he breathed towards Kakashi.

"I can see the future." Said the Konoha Jounin as he took out another Kunai. "And your future is death."

Kakashi was about to deal the final blow when a couple of senbon came out of nowhere and hit Zabuza in a specific spot near the neck. Zabuza's motionless body fell to the ground as Kakashi jumped back, his body poised for action.

"Thank you for your assistance, Hatake Kakashi." Came a voice from the treetops and every single one of the Konoha troop looked at the new arrival.

The boy in front of them was a Mist Hunter-nin, Naruto realized. One of the shinobi elite of their village sent with the specific job of hunting down their missing-nin and ensuring that the village's secrets were kept secret. Even though it was his first time seeing a hunter-nin, Naruto was awed. Not only was the hunter-nin good, he could not be any older than Naruto was himself. He must be a prodigy, Naruto realized.

The Nin disappeared, reappearing near Zabuza's motionless body. "I thank you again for your assistance in aiding the capture and recovery of this missing-nin's body. He has plagued our village since the military coup he attempted not a few years back and has sent numerous hunter-nin back in body bags. I would not have been able to do this without your help."

The hunter-nin took no chances, immediately lofting Zabuza's body and disappearing before Kakashi could say a word. This was bad, Kakashi thought. Zabuza and the Demon brothers had been bad enough, but a Kiri Hunter-nin as well would make things even harder for them to protect the bridge builder.

"Tazuna-san." Kakashi called. "How far is your home? It seems we all need to have a little talk." Said the Jounin as he nodded to his team and Tane.

The message was clear. There were things he needed to explain and things he needed to know but here was not the time nor the place. And this needed to happen as soon as possible.

"Alright." Called Tane as he lifted Tazuna onto his back. "Keep up and don't fall behind. We have no time to waste."

The two Jounin immediately launched themselves towards Tazuna's house, the genin following them. Sakura felt her heart beat more rapidly as they set a brisk pace. The excitement too much for her to bear. It was obvious to her that things had gotten even more challenging than it had been. And somehow, she liked the feeling. She glanced over to Naruto and the both of them exchanged grins. This was exactly the kind of things they had signed up for.

Alright!!! Chapter 7 is done! Umm… im very sleepy as it is and cannot think of much to write here

So…. REVIEW!!!


	8. Chapter 8 : Fixing The Broken Wave

Woah woah! :P

ErikArden : hmmm… interesting idea… I had other plans in mind… but maybe…

Captain of the sea spirit: kekekek… this chapter… I promise you'll like Teme's reaction.

Omega Hawkeye: yes there will be. I hope to spark something by the start of the Chuunin exams.

Crusnik: they will, in time.

LadyCalus : Heni and Hisemi will feature on and off until the Sasuke runs off with the snake… yes it will happen… their backgrounds will surface in the Chuunin exams during their fights… as for Tane (pronounced Taa-nay) im not so sure.

Stiehl : yeah. The only reason he used it was to distract Zabuza and allow Sakura to get away. Naruto still has his prankster side.

Karibanu : uhhh… simple English please :P

GreyTurnip : sorry… he has to have the Sharingan… no Sharingan no orochimaru…

Okay… too much replying to people so on with the chapter

13/10/10 – added a slight detail of what Sakura wore… honestly thought I had included that… but somehow it was missing… Thanks to Celestia GF of the Void for pointing it out

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 8: A Broken Wave

The rest of the journey to Tazuna's house went smooth and fast without any further attacks. Kakashi led the way, Tane following behind with his team and Naruto and Sakura bringing up the rear. Neither of them spoke a word.

Kakashi had stopped at the entrance to the town Tazuna lived in, the two teams neatly falling in behind him. From there on, they would go by foot so as not to attract any further attention than they already had. However, it was also a chance for the two Jounin to see how the Wave had suffered these past few years of monopoly.

In truth, it was one of the poorest, if not the poorest town either of the two Jounin had ever seen. There were people all over the town, thin and scrawny as if they hadn't eaten in months, strewn about as if they were too tired to move, looking at each and every individual that passed by, hoping for something to fill their bellies with.

Kakashi could understand. The country had little land to produce their own food. Whatever plots of land being across vast amounts of water, which they were poorly equipped to cross. The only industry they had was a fishing industry and it had literally been halted once Gato had monopolized the seas.

The shops they passed had little to sell, the citizens with almost no money to buy them with. With the town in this shape, it was no wonder that Tazuna could not afford a higher ranked mission. However, that was now solved, in essence.

Tazuna's home was the only building they came across that looked in proper condition. The house properly cleaned and maintained. Maybe it had something to do with Tazuna being a builder but neither of them thought to ask.

"Tsunami!" called the older man as he took of his sandals to enter the house. "I'm home! And I brought guests."

A younger lady came down the stairs, dressed in a traditional Kimono. Hisemi's eyes immediately widened and he nudged Heni with an elbow.

"Check it out. The old Prune has a younger wife."

It was at that time that Tazuna decided to introduced Tsunami to the group.

"I'd like all of you to meet Tsunami, my daughter. She'll be taking care of you during your stay in the house."

It was Kakashi who spoke next. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Tsunami-san. My name is Hatake Kakashi. This is Tane, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke and…"

He left of from there as he did not know the other two names. Both Heni and Hisemi took this pause as a cue to introduce themselves.

"Ubara Heni."

"Hyuuga Hisemi."

The last name caused the entire Konoha group to turn around and stare at the young boy. He was a Hyuuga? Tane decided that this was the best time to intervene.

"Tazuna-san, may we come inside? There are some things we need to discuss."

Once inside, Tsunami took the kids to their rooms. Tazuna only had two spare bedrooms, one in which Tane and his team would sleep in and the other for both Naruto and Kakashi. It was decided that Sakura would share a room with Tsunami, being the only females in the house.

With the genin out of their way, it was time for Kakashi and Tane to sit with Tazuna and discuss things.

"So, what rank do you suppose the mission is now?" Asked Tazuna as he pulled out a bottle of sake and some saucers to which both Kakashi and Tane declined.

"A rank at least. Depends on who comes along with Zabuza the next time they attack." Said Kakashi.

"Zabuza?" asked Tazuna, his eyes wide with shock. "The eyebrow-less freak that attacked today? I thought he died."

Tane shook his head. "No. We believe the hunter-nin is someone in his group of ninja. Hunter-nin have a rule to remove the heads from the bodies of their marks and to burn the body on the spot, just taking the head back to the village as proof of the marks death. This particular hunter-nin did none of that instead taking off with the body."

"Besides, senbon isn't really a killing tool. It is most used for healing techniques like acupuncture, to stimulate nerves. It can be used to put bodies in a near death state that can be reversed." Stated Sakura as she entered along with Naruto.

"Sakura here has recently started studying to become a medic nin. I thought her input would be valuable. And as for Naruto, well, we need him if we are to handle all four at once."

"All four?" Asked Tazuna

"Yes." Said Kakashi. "The Demon Brothers must be working in tandem with Zabuza and the hunter-nin. They know now that they cannot get the job now if it is just two of them at the same time. Next time they will all come together."

Kakashi then turned to Sakura. "How long will it take before we can expect another attack?"

Sakura thought for a bit. "With the knowledge I have, which isn't much, I'd say 3 to 4 days before he is battle fit but no way I can be sure. Depending on the medic Nin's quality he could be fit as soon as tomorrow."

"Back to the topic of payment." Said Kakashi. "I suggest Team 11 continues with their C rank, which means that Tazuna-san will only have to pay for that. As for Zabuza and his crew, leave them to us."

"But sempai, we cant expect two genin to take on the Demon brothers and the hunter-nin." Spoke Tane.

"No. We can't. However, if you take on the hunter-nin then the Demon brothers should be easy for the two of them." Stated Kakashi. "But we will need to train them."

There was a slight knock on the door before the head of Tsunami poked in. "Dinner is ready."

Dinner was a quiet affair. The table being too small to fit them all Naruto filled his bowl and excused himself. He was sitting on the rooftop, gazing at the stars while lazily devouring his meal when he heard something placed next to him.

He looked at the object to see that it was a second bowl of rice filled to its brim. "don't complain." Came Sakura's voice. "we both know one bowl will not fill that vortex of yours." She said with a small laugh as she sat down beside him with two bowls of her own.

"Arigato, Sakura-chan." He said as he sat up.

"You are welcome Naruto. Sometimes you are too nice to people. You want to leave the food for them when it is you who needs it to become stronger in order to help these people." She said.

Naruto lowered his head as he played with his food. "It's not that Sakura-chan." He spoke. "I remember myself, when I was a few years younger, too small to go to the academy. I had little food as they do now. And I remember what its like to go hungry most of the day."

Sakura looked at Naruto and saw him fighting his tears, trying to hold them back. She had known his childhood had been harsh. Yet she hadn't known the full detail, maybe she didn't even now. But inside, she felt better, hearing him open up himself and talk about his past which he never did.

The two genin saw a head peek up from downstairs and saw Kakashi's face looking up at the.

"Ah, there you are." Said the Jounin. "Alright, I'm heading to bed, the usage of the Sharingan has taken a lot out of me. I suggest you two do the same once you are done with your dinner."

The next second he was gone and the two were alone again, though Sakura felt Kakashi had ruined the mood and the flow Naruto had going. Now it would take a while before she could get anything out of him again.

The next day began very early for the genin of Team 7, the both of them attuned to their timetables back at Konoha. As usual they both began with a warm up run, this time with their weight seals released. After all, having speed would do nothing to favor them if they weren't able to capitalize on it. and as such it was important that the both of them get used to the speed they were now capable of without weights.

The two genin came back into the house exactly an hour later, looking no tired as they had left. There they met Kakashi and discussed their training programs over breakfast. It seemed that neither Tane nor the genin of team 11 had woken up yet. Ah well, their loss, thought Kakashi as he left with his two charges.

"Alright, listen carefully." Began Kakashi, once they had reached a nice spot to train. "Training is going to be very different for the next few days because we are going to train to take out specific ninja. I am assuming you both know about affinities right?"

The two genin nodded.

"Good." Continued Kakashi. "Now, even though we have planned it so that you two can have the Demon brothers, do not expect to have to fight them when the time comes. Nothing is ever certain in a battle. Zabuza or the hunter-nin can step in, fight you two themselves while the Demon brothers go for someone else. They will try to use their numbers and their experience as an advantage in this fight."

Kakashi dug in his pouch for two small pieces of paper. "First up, I need to know what your elemental affinities are." He said as he gave each genin a piece of paper. "Those are chakra paper. Push some chakra in them and watch what happens. Each affinity will have their own effect on the paper. This is what we use to distinguish each ninja's affinities. Try it."

Sakura looked at Naruto, unsure of how much chakra to push into the paper. Naruto meanwhile, took a deep breath and pushed a very little amount of chakra into the paper and saw it split in the middle.

"Wind element." Said Kakashi with a slight whistle. "rare, but deadly in the hands of a master. It is probably the most offensive element in all of the shinobi world."

He then turned to Sakura and nodded at the girl. Sakura herself took a breath before pushing a small amount of chakra into her piece of paper. At first there was no effect before the paper slowly crumbled into what seemed like to be dirt.

"earth element." Said Kakashi as he looked at Sakura. "common, but rarely used as it is one of the most difficult to master next to fuuton. It is one of the most defensive elements next to Suiton. Luckily for you, I happen to know some Doton jutsu which I can't say for Fuuton." He said as he looked at Naruto with a sad smile.

"Sakura come here. I will be with you in a second, Naruto."

Naruto watched as Kakashi explained to Sakura what he wanted her to do. "Put your hands on the ground, close your eyes and feel each particle. Once you have that, try raising small clumps of earth by itself. Using a Kagebunshin should help you there."

Once Kakashi had Sakura doing what he wanted, he turned to Naruto. "I'm sorry I do not have any Fuuton Jutsu in my library. It is as Fuuton Masters are rare in the world and I have not met any to be able to copy any of their jutsus. However, I can teach you Katon, which I believe will go well with your Fuuton affinity for when you do find someone to teach you. Now, here's what I want you to do."

The two genin continued training their elements while Kakashi trained his Sharingan alongside them, studying every move they made and pointing out the flaws in what they were doing until the sun reached its peak. The three decided to head back to the house and fill their bellies before setting out again.

Team 11 was up and was at lunch when the other three entered from their training, all looking none the worse for wear. Tane nodded to the genin as they silently walked past him and started filling their bowls.

Naruto was just about to leave to his designated meal spot on the rooftop when a small boy barged in to the house.

"Go away!" yelled the boy. "You are not wanted here! You're only going to get us killed!" he said before he ran out again.

"Who is he?" asked Hisemi as he swallowed his mouthful.

"He is my grandson." Explained Tazuna, before launching himself into the full tale of how Inari met Kaiza and how they were like father and son until Gato came. How Gato had killed Kaiza on public display, breaking the hearts of the Wave and any resistance towards his monopoly. He also explained that that was the reason why Inari was like that and that he would have expected it of anybody that had gone through what Inari did.

Sakura noticed that Naruto had disappeared at the end of the story while Kakashi and the others were haranguing Tazuna with questions. She stood up with her bowl and left unnoticed as well.

She found the boy at the usual spot on the roof, which he normally sat on when he was eating and sat next to him.

"What's wrong Naruto?" she asked her team mate.

Naruto shook his head. "The old man talks about the story as if we are supposed to feel sympathetic towards the kid. As if the story makes it alright for him to act like a brat."

"Doesn't it Naruto?" asked Sakura.

The blond boy looked at Sakura, trying to figure out if she felt sympathetic towards the brat. "It doesn't. It doesn't make it alright for him to act like that as much as it doesn't make it alright for me to act like one just because I never knew my parents."

Sakura was shocked at how deep Naruto was. He hid all his pain so well behind his mask of smiles that if she hadn't heard this she would never believe that he had any pain at all.

"He has it better than some of us."

Sakura immediately understood. It matched with what her mother had said the night before her survival exam. Naruto did not know his family, did not know what it was like to be loved and wanted to be loved. Inari, and Sasuke, she added, had the love they wanted yet were too blind to see it.

Her thoughts were on her mothers words when Kakashi came to fetch them. You need to be as strong as you can for when he needs you she had said. Had she been talking about Naruto? Maybe. She thought. Since she didn't want to be with someone like Sasuke, maybe she could give Naruto a chance when they got back from the mission.

The rest of the day went by like a blast. The two genin of team 7 spending most of their time sparring blindfolded while their Kagebunshin worked on their elemental manipulation. By the time they reached Tazuna's place, they were too tired to even eat, each of them choosing to hit the sack early.

Neither of them saw team 11 that day, Tane and his squad spending the whole day with the bridge builder helping to complete the bridge ahead of time.

Naruto and Sakura both woke up very early the next morning. So early that the sun hadn't even risen up yet. The only reason the both of them knew they were up was when they had bumped into each other near the refridgerator, both of them looking for something to drink.

Sakura wore a light yellow t-shirt with her usual black tights while Naruto was in his usual orange jumpsuit. It was the first time that Naruto had seen Sakura in anything but her red dress and to say that he was shocked would have been an understatement. The two managed to find some juice and went outside the house intent on watching the sun rise as they enjoyed each others company.

"Ne, Sakura-chan." Said Naruto as he took a sip of his glass. "How come you don't wear something like that as your shinobi uniform? I mean, it would give you more flexibility along with less weight to slow you down."

Sakura thought about it for a second. "How do you know? Maybe it wont." She said.

Naruto sighed and set his glass down before he stood up. "Fine, let's try it out. Friendly spar, taijutsu only." He said as he took off his orange jacket and slipped into his ready stance.

Sakura stood up herself, cracking her knuckles as she stepped in front of Naruto. "Sure, but don't start crying when I hurt you too bad." She taunted before she darted in full speed.

Naruto ducked under Sakura's out held fist tripping her trailing leg as she went past. The pink haired girl immediately turned the fall into a roll, lashing her foot out at the boy as she rose but Naruto was nowhere near her.

Kakashi and Tane both watched the spar from the roof top as Naruto and Sakura both took turns to attack, counter and separate, neither coming close to landing a proper hit on each other.

"You think it is time we intervened?" asked Tane, eager to get into a spar after so long.

"Don't underestimate them, their teamwork is better than their individual skill. How do you think they got the bells off of me?" said Kakashi as he grinned.

"Yeah, yeah." Said Tane. "Let's go already." Before he disappeared. Kakashi could only shake his head, Tane would be in for a surprise.

Naruto was just about to attack Sakura when he felt something rush in towards his head. He neatly ducked under the incoming knee, immediately raising his fist to smash the opponent in his groin. The impact was solid, the sound resonating through the quiet of dawn. Naruto watched as the younger Jounin crumpled to the floor, his eyes somewhat rolled back into his head.

Kakashi and Sakura immediately rushed over to Tane, Kakashi being the one to check on him rather than Sakura.

He shook his head at Tane as he stood up from his examination. "Serves you right for rushing in so fast."

Tane could only manage a groan as his hands gently clutched at his smashed jewels. "Will I be alright?" he asked.

Kakashi laughed. "Yes. You are lucky that he missed a direct hit. I don't know what would have happened had he managed a direct hit."

Tane groaned in response as both Naruto and Kakashi carried the incapacitated Jounin inside.

Kakashi sighed as he laid Tane on one of the mats. "Well, I guess this means that I have to be the one to go along with Tazuna today." He said.

"What about our training Sensei?" asked Sakura. There was no way they would be able to continue their elemental training without him.

Kakashi dug in his pouch and produced two scrolls. "I wrote these last night, in case something happened and I had to go with him. They contain elemental manipulation exercises and two jutsus each. One simple and the other a bit hard. They should keep you occupied at least for today till I get back. If you finish them, then you can spar with each other. Do not hold back though, for you cannot expect your enemy to hold back on you either."

Both the genin accepted their scrolls, eager to begin their training. They made to leave before Kakashi called to them both.

"Not even going to have breakfast?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

The two genin mumbled a hasty gomen as they sat down at the table, before hurriedly finishing their breakfast and leaving the house. After all, they had training to do.

By the time Tane was able to walk it was already nearing lunch time and the genin of team 11, namely Sasuke, were frustrated about being kept indoors. Naruto and Sakura were no where to be seen and neither was Kakashi. It was pretty obvious to them that the other team was training while their sensei was still in bed.

"It's about time." Said Sasuke as he saw Tane literally limp out of the room. The Jounin could only grunt in return, the blows effects still affecting him.

"Alright, fine." Tane gave in. "I'll take you training."

There was a whoop of joy from both Hisemi and Heni while Sasuke managed a satisfied smirk. Finally things were going their way.

The team met Naruto and Sakura on their way out, Sasuke giving them the cold stare. He didn't care. He was getting what he wanted, training, and there was no way someone was going to spoil his mood today.

Tane, meanwhile noticed that Naruto could not meet eyes with him, the genin obviously feeling bad for such a low blow to a teacher. He would need to let Naruto know that it was alright once he got back from the training session.

Sakura, however, was a different story. The pink haired girl being her nice self stopped. "Where are you going Tane-sensei?" she asked politely.

"Training." He replied, smiling back. Sakura and Naruto both saw the pain in his face as he forced himself to speak. It would be a day or so before it became alright.

"Ah." Said Sakura. "What kind of training?" she asked curiously.

"Tree climbing." Stated Tane. "Want to join us?"

"No, no." said Sakura waving her hands in front of her. "You guys go ahead. We are pretty beat up anyways."

"Tree climbing too hard for you two?" asked Sasuke with a smirk on his face. It seemed as if it never wore off.

"No, no." Said Sakura. "Been there, done that, you know. I'm sorry if I'm delaying you. You need all the time you can get." Said the girl as she disappeared inside the house.

The two genin of Team 7 falling into fits of laughter at the face Sasuke had made when she had said they had done it. Some things just didn't grow old she realized.

The rest of the week went by similarly, the trio of Team 7 training together whenever they could. Kakashi was proud of the improvement they had shown during the week. Especially since they only managed to train in the mornings, tagging along with Tazuna in the afternoons till night in case of an attack.

The two genin had managed to learn the Jutsu they had been handed. Both becoming so fluent with their jutsu that they could both perform it within milliseconds. It seemed as if the usage of Kagebunshin really helped them both in that department.

Naruto, Kakashi concluded, was a ninjutsu type. His large chakra reserves aiding him in performing vast numbers of jutsu without tire. If Naruto wanted, he could be famous world wide, being not limited to using only his affinities in case of chakra exhaustion. With the Kyuubi inside him, Kakashi doubted that the boy's chakra reserves would even stop growing. Not to mention that the kid was a ninjutsu sponge with his mass numbers of clones.

Sakura, meanwhile, was a Genjutsu type. Her perfectly controlled chakra would allow her to weave illusions in any way she wished. Another genjutsu mistress of Konoha in the making, he assumed. A student that Kurenai would have loved to have.

Their taijutsu was what improved the most, though Kakashi still did not expect either of them to be able to take on a full Jounin. They were just too young and inexperienced. But, Kakashi knew that with time and application and bits of modification that these two would be deadly in battle. Especially when faced together. Tane would be the last one to forget Naruto's strength. The strength he had gained through the hard labor of helping Tazuna with building the bridge. Kakashi assumed Sakura had grown stronger as well, her muscles showing more tone and power than before.

The last night was tense in Tazuna's house. The dining room filled with anxiety and anticipation. Tomorrow was the last day of work on the bridge. Only a few dozen meters of concrete to be joined together. Tomorrow was also the day of the attack. It had to be or the bridge would be completed.

Tane had sent his team to sleep, saying that he and Kakashi had to discuss their battle strategies for tomorrow. Naruto and Sakura had just come down from the roof for their refill. Tazuna was quiet. It was possibly his last day on this earth. The last day, in which he could change the future of his country. Worse, it all depended on the four foreigners in front of him.

The door to the house suddenly slammed open revealing the figure of Inari.

The young boy looked at the nin before he spoke. "Why are you still here? Leave! Run! There is no way Gato is going to let you live. You might as well give up!"

Naruto had had it this time, the blonde immediately picking the young boy up by his collar. "I have had it with your complaining!" growled the genin. "All you do is complain! You have it a lot better than I do! You have a loving mother and grandfather! I have no family! Yet I am here, putting MY life on the line for YOUR precious people and all you do is cry like a baby! You're pathetic! Grow up! Or get out of my face!" said the blonde as he dropped Inari and walked out into the night.

Inari was the first to recover from the shock, immediately running off into his room. Tsunami made to go after him but was stopped by Kakashi.

"It's ok. I'll go." Spoke the Jounin.

Kakashi had his hand on Inari's doorknob when Tazuna spoke. "Is it true what the shrimp said?"

Kakashi looked down at the floor before looking at Tazuna. "Every word of it." said the Jounin as he entered the boy's room.

"No memories either?" whispered Tsunami so softly that her words were barely audible.

Sakura stood up herself before walking towards the door. Someone needed to go find Naruto before he got lost. She barely remembered she hadn't answered Tsunami's question, only slightly turning to speak the words.

"He never knew them at all." With that the remaining member of Team 7 left the room, leaving a shell shocked Tane and a stunned Tazuna behind. Tsunami was the only one to have reaction to Sakura's words, tears streaming down her face.

Sakura returned an hour later, cold and shivering and empty handed. She had run all over the whole town, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, tree to tree, calling his name as she went. Yet she had found no trace of him.

She came home just as soon as Kakashi had, both failing to find the remaining member or their team. The both of them entered the house together to see the expectant eyes of Tazuna and Tsunami waiting for them. Kakashi shook his head and saw Tazuna lose a little glimmer of hope in his eyes. Tane arrived a moment later, again empty handed.

"Ok. That's enough for tonight." Spoke Kakashi. "We need to get all the rest we can. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow, with or without Naruto." Though in his heart he wished one of them had found him tonight.

Tane was the first one to disappear into his room, Kakashi next. Sakura took her time getting ready and finally into bed. She would be there the next time he needed her.

DONE! YAYY!

REVIEW! :P


	9. Chapter 9 : Strength of a Unified Wave

:D. First of all I would like to thank you all for sticking with me this far. And I would like to say that this fic will not be discontinued unless all of you stop reading. :p let me answer a few people before I move on with the story.

Stiehl: I realize that but this is slight muscle tone. Something I believe only someone who has been watching your development will notice. And it has been more or less two weeks since they started training. As for the sentences, well, Naruto is simply too irate that he has to hold himself back from actually hitting Inari. So he takes the pauses as chances to reign himself in. He's not looking for flow.

Lordamnesia : I don't think he will ever lose his arrogance

NL Kaos : Kakashi did knock them out. But as with Zabuza they are assuming Haku saved them before the ANBU got there. It is something I also noticed in canon anime. Zabuza only goes for Tazuna when the Demon Brothers return. I distinctly remember seeing them when Zabuza tells Gato that he will do it himself.

Kalulu 1080: Just one cookie?

Cloud : well… to be honest I did not really plan on him being not so happy go lucky. It just kinda happened. :P thank the story and not me :P

Alec-potter : you might see Sakura's jutsu… but I doubt you will see Naruto's

…. On with the chapter!! :P

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 9: The Unified Wave

Naruto woke as soon as the sun hit his eyes. The blond boy opened his eyes slowly, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. The green canopy above him reminded him of home sweet home in Konoha where he had fallen asleep in the forest many a time. Yet he knew that this was not Konoha. He knew exactly where he was.

Naruto sat up gingerly, his body aching from sleeping on uneven ground. Even though his eyes were wide open he knew he was not fully awake, his body slow to respond to his commands. There was a slight movement to his left, his arm instinctively flinging a kunai that missed the girl by an inch.

"Woah." Said the girl as she looked at the kunai embedded in the ground beside her.

"Gomen." Called Naruto as he walked over to retrieve the kunai, putting it into his pouch just for show.

"I'm a bit jumpy, just woke up. I'm Naruto and you are?" He said.

The girl smiled. "That's okay. My name is Haku." She responded. "So you're a ninja huh?" she asked looking at him.

"Yup!" exclaimed Naruto with a big grin. "How did you know?" he asked.

The girl pointed at his forehead. "That thing on your forehead, it is something only ninja from a village wear. Right?" she asked, unsure.

"Yeah!" Said the boy as he adjusted his hitai-ate. "You sure know a lot about ninja! And, umm, I'm sorry about the Kunai."

The girl laughed. "For the second time, it's okay. What are you doing out here in the first place?"

"Aaahh! I was training." He lied. "What brings a girl like you out here?"

"I'm here to collect some herbs. The man I look up to as a father is recovering from an illness and he needs some herbs for his medicine if he is to be better. I'm just doing all I can to save my loved ones. I am sure that's why you train so hard. Isn't it?"

"Yeah." Naruto mentioned. "So does that mean he isn't fully fit?" he asked.

The girl looked as if she had been slapped, her eyes widened and her body frozen.

"You don't fool me. I might have been half asleep but I know I was dead on target. I saw you dodge that Kunai." Naruto said with a smile. "I could attack you right now. I might not be able to kill you but I can delay you so Zabuza has to leave for the bridge without you or your herbs."

The girl's expression turned stern as she realized she had been found out. "You wouldn't attack an unarmed person right?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. I wouldn't. But then again, a ninja doesn't need weapons to be dangerous. And it would help me in the future if I were to use this as an advantage."

The girl sighed as she stood up. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." She said.

"Why not?" asked Naruto.

"For one, you don't know my skills. It would be a great risk for you if you were to take me on. For all you know I might just run off."

Naruto nodded. "It wouldn't change a thing about me knowing your skills if I fought you here or on the bridge. Besides, you running would get you nowhere. Without those herbs, he wouldn't stand a chance against Kakashi. You wouldn't be here if he did."

The girl had to concede the point. The boy wasn't as dumb as he looked. "Alright, fine. But it would do neither of us any good to fight here. I need to get back to the hideout so we can go to the bridge and you need to get to the bridge builder's house."

It was Naruto's turn to be taken aback. Tazuna's house? Why would he need to go there? The girl must have seen the question on his face as she continued.

"Gato doesn't believe we will succeed. Truthfully neither do I, but I will fight with all my heart for Zabuza-sama. So he will undoubtedly send some of his minions to the bridge builder's house to use as leverage."

Naruto was at a total loss for words. If he attacked the girl, he would save the Konoha group some trouble but in the end cause the death of Tsunami and Inari or even cause them to go hostage. If that happened Tazuna would stop building the bridge and it would be the same end as him dying at the ninja's hands.

Yet if he left the girl and went to save the family, it would mean that the Mist Nin would reach the bridge in tip top shape. That would cause problems for the Konoha group without him present to help them out as it would make the numbers uneven maybe even cause some casualties.

"Decide." Spoke the girl. "The more time you spend thinking, the more chance of them dying."

It was true. He needed to make a decision and fast.

"Fine. I'll let you go this once but when we meet on that bridge, I will not hesitate." Said the boy as he took off towards the bridge builders home.

"Oh. By the way." Said Naruto as he paused for a bit. "I know you are a boy."

The blonde boy was gone before Haku could recover enough to reply. How had he known? Was the question that echoed through the hunter-nin's head as he himself sped to their hideout. They needed to use the missing member to their advantage if they were to stand more chance of succeeding with what they had been hired for. Time was of the essence.

X—X—X—X—X

The trip to the bridge had been long and painful for Sakura. The pace slow as Tazuna wanted to walk to the bridge. Kakashi had agreed since it could possibly be the last time Tazuna was able to walk this road. Sakura thought it was so that it would give Naruto time to catch up to them. She missed him a lot, only realizing how steady a companion he had been the sole day he had gone missing. She silently wished he was here. Not only as battle support but also as moral support as well.

Their arrival to the bridge was met with silence, not a single movement from the bridge. They had met the workers on the way. Each of them fleeing the site, stating that it was simply too risky to continue with it. Sakura did not understand how they could abandon Tazuna on their final day of construction. It would only serve to lengthen the construction period of the bridge. It would only extend the suffering of the Wave and that she did not understand at all.

She knew one thing for certain. This would be the day that the fate of the wave would be decided and it would not serve the country for Tazuna to be hiding in his home. The ninja would come for him today, along with any other forces Gato thought of sending to kill him. She wouldn't put it past the shipping magnate to employ such a low and dirty trick. They would come today or they would not come at all, for this was the day marked as the completion of the bridge in everybody's books and it would all fall on the Konoha-nin's shoulders to carry the day or to die trying.

They had been waiting at the bridge for one hour before the fog started rolling in. This time, it was not as thick as the mist Zabuza had created, yet it was unmistakably a sign of the Mist Nin's presence. True to her thoughts, four figures appeared from the mist not long after its formation. Zabuza and his mighty Zanbato in the middle, the hunter-nin on his right and the Demon Brothers on his left.

Sakura saw Kakashi tense and wondered what thoughts might be going through the Copy Nin's head. He would be the only one who had a chance of taking Zabuza on and coming out the victor. But it was the rest of the match-ups that would worry him. Without Naruto, they were easily outnumbered, outclassed even with the blond genin. They needed the three genin of team 11 for the safety net around Tazuna in case either of them managed to slip past Tane or Sakura.

"Alright." Came Kakashi's voice. "We stick to the plan. Sasuke, you take Naruto's spot alongside Sakura. It is up to you two to keep the Demon Brothers occupied while Tane deals with the hunter-nin. Zabuza is mine."

Sakura glanced at the Uchiha as he stepped forward from the group, an arrogant grin lighting up his face. It wasn't until this point in time that Sakura actually started praying Naruto would arrive soon.

X—X—X—X—X

The trees rushed by as Naruto sped towards Tazuna's house as fast as his unburdened legs would carry him, the blade scarred trees not passing his notice. The blond boy could only hope he arrived in time to stop whoever Gato had sent from doing whatever they had been sent to do.

Meanwhile, Tsunami was doing the dishes in Tazuna's kitchen, so deep in thought that she barely noticed the two mercenaries enter the house until they spoke.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" said one of them as they entered the kitchen, their katana unsheathed. "Boss said that Tazuna would have a family at home and that we were to take care of them but he never said that we would find such a beauty waiting for us here."

Tsunami jumped in surprise, the plates dropping from her hands as she hurriedly turned around to face the intruders.

The other mercenary grinned at Tsunami, showing the large gaps in his teeth where some were obviously missing. "Don't worry, dear lady." The man said as he stepped in a little closer, his hand outstretched. "We'll take very good care of you."

Tsunami shook in fear as the two inched closer to her. Brought up in a peaceful country until Gato's arrival, this was her very first experience with sword wielding men and the experience shook her to her very core. The fear pulsing through her body, Tsunami picked up the first thing that was within reach to in order defend herself.

"Aw." Said the first man, the scars on his face curving as he smiled lustfully. "The little lady is scared. Don't be. Maybe you will enjoy it."

Tsunami could hear the snickering of the second man as they both approached. They were almost within touching distance when she heard a young voice yell out.

"Stay away from my mother!" yelled Inari as he ran at the two men, the former one smacking the boy away with the back of his hand. Tsunami used this opportunity to try and stab the man in the back with the knife that she had picked up near the sink. The other man reacted faster though, punching Tsunami and causing her to fall to the floor, the knife clattering away from her.

"Why didn't you kill him?" hissed the first man as he glared at Inari.

"Won't you rather have him watch as we have our way with his mother before he dies?" asked the second man with an evil glint in his eyes. "or we could do it the other way round and kill him in front of her before we deal with her."

Inari chose this very moment to attack again, quickly running the first mans foot through with the knife his mother had dropped. The man uttered a long and pain filled scream, the other rounding up on him. The man was about to slice the young boy up with his katana when a couple of blurs connected with them.

There was a pop sound and a cloud of smoke before Inari heard Naruto's voice.

"Good job Inari." The elder boy said as he ruffled the younger boy's hair. "Maybe you have hope of changing after all."

The statement caused Inari to glare at Naruto. It had taken a lot of courage for him to charge in, in the first place. More to actually stab a guy in the foot and he still had not gotten credit for anything. Inari would have thought of a come back if it were not for the blonde turning his attention to his mother.

"Tsunami-san. Is there another place for you and Inari to hide until we are back? I'm afraid Gato might have sent more of his thugs after you and I don't want to leave you here."

Tsunami nodded. "We can go to a friends place."

"Alright. Let's go. I'll take you two there before I head to the bridge. I'm pretty sure they need me there."

The two wasted no time in leaving the house, leaving all their possessions in hope of returning sometime. They did not want to face such a situation again as they had earlier. There was no guarantee someone else would get to them in time.

X—X—X—X—X

Meanwhile, things at the bridge were becoming very very hairy. Tazuna watched as Sakura was barely able to duck under the punch of the hunter-nin, the Demon Brothers blocking Tane off. It took the girl all of her skills and concentration just to avoid the hunter-nin's blows. Her weighted legs just barely able to match the hunter-nin's and she knew that this was not the hunter-nin's true speed. Sakura would need someone or someway to stall the hunter-nin for a while and allow her to release her seals. Tane had disappeared along with the Demon Brothers. Kakashi had his hands full with Zabuza and she would get no help from there. Her only option was to find a way herself.

Sakura ducked under a kick, rolling away from the hunter-nin, releasing one seal in the process. A back flip tucked into a roll allowed her to get the other. Even though it made Sakura more mobile, she still was not at her fullest. It still left three seals. The two on her arms and the one on her torso. Faster than earlier, Sakura decided to use this to her advantage and go on the attack herself, guiding the next punch to her side and ramming her knee into the hunter-nin's chest.

To the genin's surprise, her knee was met with the hunter-nin's arm, the hunter-nin using his own momentum to ram his own knee into Sakura's side. The impact of the blow took the breath out of Sakura, her legs automatically propelling her a few feet away from the hunter-nin, her hands clutching at her bruised ribs. She had always known Naruto had held back on the strength of his blows yet she had not expected a hit to be this painful. The hunter-nin did not give her any time to breathe, appearing to her left and placing a hard soled foot on her cheek, the force lifting her off the floor and sending her skidding a few feet away

There was a sudden flicker as the forgotten Sasuke appeared behind the hunter-nin, his hand forming the last seal for the Goukakyuu. The great fireball that erupted out of Sasuke's mouth was met with a barrier of water as the hunter-nin voiced his own jutsu.

"Suiton, Suijinheki."

The hunter-nin began a new set of seals immediately, ones that Sasuke had never seen before. The guy was serious in his fights. Loss was not an option for nuke-nin like them.

Sasuke rushed in, kunai in his hand and aimed at the hunter-nin's back causing the masked boy to turn and block Sasuke's kunai on his own.

The Uchiha grinned slyly as he spoke. "Guess you can't perform any jutsu now."

The hunter-nin did not reply, instead slamming his foot into a nearby puddle as he formed one handed seals. The water droplets freezing into needles of ice as the nin spoke the words. "Hyouton: Sensatsu Suishou."

Sasuke was dumbfounded. The only reason he had attacked had been just to stop the nin from performing jutsu's and he had fallen right into his trap. The ice spikes were everywhere, there was simply no where for him to go.

Haku watched as his spikes converged towards Sasuke, his heart beating fast. He considered himself soft hearted, unable to take anyone's life in cold blood. Yet Sasuke was fidgeting and that might throw his aim off and kill the Konoha nin. It would be his first kill ever and he did not want it to be like this. Haku hoped Sasuke would not move any further, it was already too late for him to stop the jutsu.

Sasuke had his eyes closed, waiting for the end that had come too soon. His life flashed before his eyes, starting from the days when his family had been alive and together to the day of the massacre and up to this day as well. He wondered what it would be kike to die, whether he would go to heaven or hell, yet the pain of the sharp impacts never came.

A sudden movement from the hunter-nin caused him to open his eyes and saw that a concrete wall had risen around him, protecting him from the ice shards. It was the third time that he had been saved during the entire duration of the trip.

"Sasuke-kun! Stop him!" came a yell as Sasuke's eyes came to rest on the form of Sakura who had taken her hands off the ground, running full tilt at the hunter nin.

It wasn't until Sasuke saw the other boy finish his set of hand seals that he realized what Sakura had been yelling to him about. However, it was too late for Sasuke to react.

"It's over." Came the hunter nin's voice. "Hyouton"

"Makyou Hyoushou no Jutsu."

X—X—X—X—X

A good distance afar, Hatake Kakashi, the lead Jounin of the Konoha party felt the release of the jutsu but could not pay any attention to it at all. Zabuza's large zanbato crashing into his small kunai as he tried to stop the blade from crushing him.

"Look's like Haku is finally taking things seriously." Said the nuke-nin with a devilish smile. "Might as well consider your genin a casualty Kakashi."

Kakashi leaped backwards, flicking some shuriken which Zabuza blocked with the flat of his blade in mid air.

"Where are you going Kakashi?" taunted Zabuza as he rushed the Konoha nin. "You don't have time to help your genin, Copy Cat! You have your hands full with me!"

The only thought that went through Kakashi's head as he defended himself against Zabuza's relentless attack was, Sakura, I hope you are ok.

Meanwhile, under the bridge, Tane had felt the release as well but whereas Kakashi had shown concern for Sakura, Tane was concerned about Sasuke. Sakura was much better off than Sasuke as far as he knew and he did not want a casualty from his team on his first mission as Jounin sensei.

"Gomen." He voiced as he grabbed the gauntlet of an onrushing Demon Brother. "but I must finish this fast for my genin have need of me."

X—X—X—X—X

Sakura was recovering from her usage of the Doton, Doryuuheki when she had seen the hunter-nin finish his seals. She knew it was bad the moment she had seen the combination. It was in no means any combination that could be used for a suiton jutsu and that would mean only one thing. The jutsu the boy was going to perform was a Hyouton.

Sakura skidded to a halt a fair distance from Sasuke as the boy intoned his jutsu, using the few seconds between intonation and the actual release to try and make sense of it.

Hyouton was not a common ninjutsu element. This was in fact the first time she had even heard of the element. It had to be a bloodline. There was simply no other explanation for it.

Sakura watched the large mirrors rise up out of the water, enclosing Sasuke in a dome of ice and marveled at the boy's mastery of his bloodline. From the one handed seals to the comparatively small chakra release used for the jutsu, it seemed as if this boy was truly a genius.

Concentrate, she scolded herself. It wouldn't do either Sakura nor Sasuke any good if she rushed into the dome blindly. No, the wisest thing would be to stay outside the dome and support Sasuke in any way she could. But first, she would need to learn how this jutsu worked. She just hoped that Sasuke would be alright until she was able to be of any use to him.

Sakura watched the hunter-nin as he stepped into one of the mirrors, disappearing into it. Then, suddenly out of nowhere, from the opposite direction of the hunter-nin's location, a hail of senbon flew at the Uchiha who was barely able to dodge them.

Fast, thought Sakura, as her eyes started glimpsing the movement of the hunter-nin between mirrors. It wasn't a teleportation jutsu as she had assumed earlier but more or less a jutsu that allowed the user to travel at faster speeds between the mirrors than he was normally capable of.

There was only one way out of this mess and that was to break free of the entrapment within the dome. There was no way Sasuke was going to do it by pure speed alone, he would need help. She could only hope her lifting a page from Naruto's book in jutsu modification would work for her in this time of need.

X—X—X—X—X

Sasuke was currently having a hard time trying to evade all of Haku's attacks. The movement of the hunter-nin was so fast for his untrained eyes that he barely even saw the boy dash between mirrors. They mirrors were even strong enough to withstand a couple of his Goukakyuu no Jutsu's. But that was going to change soon.

His desperation to get his eyes to work better had unconsciously made him push chakra into his eyes and he had felt a barrier release. Now, he could see the hunter-nin. Though Haku was still fast, he wasn't as fast as before and Sasuke could instinctively predict when and where the attacks were going to come from.

"An Uchiha, I see." Said Haku as the attacks stopped momentarily. "It seems your Sharingan can follow my speed."

Sasuke smirked, a hint of confidence in it. He had originally wanted to make a comeback but was simply too tired and too in pain to be able to respond. He could see the senbon, yet had not been able to block or dodge them all. The needles too thin to be seen in the light.

The hunter-nin gave him no more respite as he one again stepped into a mirror.

"Prepare yourself, Uchiha, for I will show your eyes what true speed really is."

Sasuke's smirk didn't wear off. "Bring it on, mask girl. Your speed will be no match for the Sharingan."

Haku immediately sped forward, too fast for even the Sharingan to register him as nothing but a blur, and shoved a fist into Sasuke's stomach. The Uchiha doubled over, spitting blood from his mouth as Haku vanished again.

The hunter-nin reappeared, this time on the other side of Sasuke, kicking the fallen boy in the ribs. Sasuke couldn't understand. His Sharingan was failing him, disappearing as he slowly ran out of chakra to keep them active. He rolled backwards from the next attack, Haku disappearing again before Sasuke could counter.

A hail of ice sped towards the genin as one of Haku's mirrors broke, a concrete dragon bursting through its middle. A hail of ice senbon immediately forming from the broken ice shards.

The words "Sasuke-kun! Run!" pushed the genin into action as he sped towards the opening, looking to escape. The boy fed the last of his dwindling supply of chakra to his legs, hoping for that extra burst of speed. Hoping to gain that extra millisecond that would allow him to roll out of the dome before it closed again.

There was a loud crack as one of the mirrors forming the roof cracked, large ice shards falling to the floor sharp end first. The first one landed straight in front of Sasuke, embedding itself into the concrete. Sasuke barely managed to glance up at the breaking mirror before he had to jump backwards to avoid the falling ice. It was not until he saw the senbon cloud heading for him that he knew he had made a mistake.

The hunter-nin had known that Sasuke was low on chakra. He had known the moment Sasuke had stopped using his Sharingan. He had known that Sasuke would not be able to pull of a defensive or an offensive jutsu to save himself and he had used that to his advantage.

The second mirror, Sasuke realized, had also been part of Haku's plan to force him to jump up into the air and Sasuke had fallen right into the path of the senbon cloud. Now, he had no where to go, losing his maneuverability in mid air and he had simply no chakra left except enough to use one jutsu, the Kawarimi. Sasuke readied himself as he performed the jutsu.

He considered it a necessary sacrifice. For both himself and the good of the village. They could not afford to lose the last remaining elite Uchiha. However, someone who did not belong to a clan was a different story. In truth, he thought it should make them proud to be chosen as a sacrifice in his stead, to give their lives to save him. Without a second thought, Sasuke performed the swap and readied himself for the disorientation.

X—X—X—X—X

Tane had just stepped up on to the bridge when he saw the switch take place. The younger Jounin immediately dropped the now incapacitated Demon Brothers onto the bridge and rushed towards the fallen Uchiha. An orange blur passing him as it ran inside the dome and to the body that now lay motionless on the floor.

Tane approached the Uchiha as he struggled to stand up, exhausted of his chakra and knocked the boy out with a blow to the back of the head. He had known the boy was arrogant and full of himself, but he ad never expected Sasuke to go as far as to replace himself with a shinobi from his own village just to save his own life. He would need to deal with this once the mission was over but for now he had other things that required more of his attention.

Being a chakra sensory type, Tane picked up the small but increasing leakage of demonic chakra from inside the dome and he tensed. There was only one way that there would be a leakage of demonic chakra. Was the kyuubi breaking free of the seal? No, the fourth's seal wouldn't have broken that easily. Was it taking over Naruto? Or was Naruto controlling the kyuubi's chakra?

A sudden movement to his right alerted him of one of the Demon Brothers breaking free. He rushed towards Tazuna hoping to get there to put his body in between the gauntlet and the bridge builders body. Both he and Kakashi would deal with the kyuubi later, if indeed it was breaking free of the seal, but for now, they both had their hands full. Tane hoped that somehow it was Naruto who was in charge of the whole situation inside the dome.

X—X—X—X—X

Haku watched, stunned, as the orange clad boy rushed into the dome and to his fallen friend. It had all been so sudden. One moment the senbon were supposed to hit the Uchiha, square on and in spots that would only serve to paralyze him instead of kill and the next moment he had replaced himself with the pink haired girl Haku had fought earlier.

Haku would have never expected such a move from anyone, much less to replace himself with a ninja on his own side so that he could survive. Worst of all, now Haku wasn't sure the girl was dead or alive. The girl wouldn't have known, wouldn't have had time to react, to twist or to turn and avoid her vital spots being hit. The Uchiha had left it simply too close. It wasn't indecision, Haku knew, Uchiha had simply wanted to get rid of this particular genin on this bridge.

"Why?" came a strangled whisper. "Why did you have to kill her?"

Haku's eyes came to rest on Naruto, whose face was stained with tears. The look about him had totally changed from earlier that morning. The cerulean blue eyes were now a fiery orange, his whisker marks deepening and bringing about him a much more animalistic and demonic look. The glare Naruto gave him scared him, as if it wasn't a boy that was glaring back at him, but rather a full fledged demon. The scariest thing was, the boy knew exactly which mirror he was in.

There was a blur and the Konoha genin was in front of him before he knew it, arm cocked back for a punch. The burning of the demonic chakra the only warning before the boy threw his arm. Haku was barely able to dash to the next mirror, the crash of the shattering mirror reaching his ears as he moved. One punch! Thought Haku. This boy had destroyed what an Uchiha couldn't and what the girl had required a jutsu for in one single punch.

There was a gust of wind as Naruto appeared in front of him again. Haku realized that Naruto was in fact faster than him even inside the dome. However, the orange clad boy gave him no chance of escaping the blow, grabbing Haku by the hem of his kimono as he placed his fist on to Haku's mask. There was a loud crack as the boy went flying through his mirror, bits and pieces of his mask falling to the floor as he went. Naruto appeared on top of Haku, grabbing him by the hem again as he placed both legs on Haku's chest, slamming the masked nin into the concrete below him.

The pain that Haku felt as he slammed into the concrete was like none he had ever felt before. The boy tried to move as soon as he landed but the pain that shot through his body kept him on the ground. Atleast it wasn't his back that was broken, thought Haku to himself. He watched as Naruto walked over to him, the animalistic features lessening as compared to the beginning of the assault.

"Why did you kill her?" came the whisper again and this time Haku replied.

"Gomen Naruto-kun. I did not mean to kill her." He said between pained breaths. His broken ribs, which he was sure they were, were making it hard for him to speak.

"I wasn't going to kill him either." He said spitting some blood out. "I didn't think he would replace himself with her. But check, Naruto-kun, maybe she is alive after all."

"Gomen Haku. I can't have you interfering in the big fight." Said Naruto to the hunter-nin as he stood over the fallen boy.

"Go to her Naruto-kun." Said Haku. He knew that the orange clad boy longed to be at the girl's side and he blamed himself for it. "Break my leg if you have to, then you can be sure I will not interfere but go to her. She may still be alive."

Naruto looked into the hunter-nin's eyes and nodded before he broke one of Haku's legs. The hunter-nin withheld his scream and steeled himself. He had always wanted to be the perfect tool for Zabuza, the one who had looked after him after the incident with his parents and the manifestation of his bloodline. To be able to do anything and everything for Zabuza, to be able to fight and win his battles, to die in his stead was what Haku had wanted to be. But it had all changed since the very moment Zabuza had taken this very mission that had brought him to this point.

He had heard of the bridge builder that risked his very life everyday working on this very bridge just for his countries prosperity. He had seen the ninja that had come along with the bridge builder, one team on a lower fee than required, the other without being paid, who themselves were risking their lives to save the bridge builder they had come to protect.

Zabuza had come here because he was being paid a hefty sum. A hefty sum that he would then later use to hire more nuke-nin for a repeat coup on his village, the mist. Gozu and Meizu had come along for their share of the blood and their share of the money. Why had Haku come then? The only reason he had come was because Zabuza had come. Not because it felt morally right, nor was it because of the money. No, Haku had come because he owed Zabuza a great debt for both raising him and training him. Yet somehow, throughout this experience, Haku's views on right and wrong had changed. He no longer wanted to fight only to repay his debt. He now wanted to fight for a cause, for something right, for something that he believed in.

From what he could see of the fight between the two Jounin, it seemed as if Zabuza was loosing. Haku himself knew for sure that Zabuza would never reach the bridge builder. Even if he managed to kill Kakashi, it would leave him tired and injured enough that the four remaining genin and the other Jounin could stop him. Maybe, Haku thought, maybe, if the Konoha nin chose to spare him and free him, maybe then he would give things a try from the moral side of things.

X—X—X—X—X

Deep throaty laughter echoed as Kakashi knelt down in the mist, clutching at his wounded shoulder while panting heavily.

"How does it feel Kakashi? Fighting against a foe that cannot be seen. Where your mighty Sharingan is only as good as any normal set of eyes." Came Zabuza's voice.

Kakashi didn't reply. He did not want to give away his position as it would put him in a very tight situation. Instead, Kakashi drew some blood from his shoulder and smeared it onto a scroll before slamming it into the ground before whispering the words.

"Kuchiyose, Doton Tsuiga no Jutsu."

Kakashi counted up to ten before he stood up and blew the mist away with e burst of his chakra.

"How did they find me?" asked Zabuza as he struggled against the pack of dogs that were holding him in place.

"Remember when you cut me? Well, I let you cut me so that my dogs could find you using the smell of my blood on your sword. It seems I did not need to over use my Sharingan for this fight." Said Kakashi as he formed more hand seals.

"You are a worthy opponent Zabuza and as such I will give you the honor of dying by my own jutsu."

Everyone still alive and conscious on the bridge watched as Kakashi gripped his wrist, a crackling ball of lightning appearing in his palm. Naruto was stunned at the amount of lightning chakra that was gathered in Kakashi's hand, he knew that it required a large mass of chakra for it be visible in someone's hands.

"It's over." Said Kakashi as he ran forwards, the chakra ball gouging a path in the concrete as Kakashi touched the floor. The legendary Raikiri, thought Zabuza, as the ball neared him, the jutsu that is said to have cut through natural lightning itself. Here is where the path of the Bloody Demon of the Hidden Mist finally ends, he thought as Kakashi rammed his hand through Zabuza's chest.

"Farewell, Haku." Whispered the nuke-nin as the last of his life flowed out of him. Kakashi pulled his arm out and let the body drop onto the ground as the blood pooled around it. Kakashi was about to cut off Zabuza's head when the sound of clapping reached his ears.

"Well done my friends from Konoha." Came a voice causing all from Konoha to turn towards the unfinished end of the bridge.

"Well done. You have done me a great service in taking down Zabuza. I had no intention of paying him anyways." Said a small man dressed in a rich business suit.

"Gato." Hissed Kakashi as he stood up. "You have a lot of guts showing up here alone."

"Now, now. Who said I was alone?" asked Gato as a small army of mercenaries and thugs climbed on to the bridge from behind him. "Now, I will pay you twice as much as your client is if you would step away and let us deal with him."

"Not on your life." Growled an angry Naruto as he stepped towards the magnate.

"Come on. Think about it. Surely you are tired after the battles. Even you trained ninja cannot take on these numbers in that shape." Said Gato as he stroked his chin. Gato would have continued to speak had a kunai not been stuck in his throat, the shipping magnate falling to the ground frantically trying to breathe.

Both Naruto and Kakashi turned around to see Tane walk up beside them.

"Sounded too much like Sasuke." Said the younger Jounin with a shrug. "One is enough for me."

Naruto could not help but laugh at his comment.

"Oy!" came a yell from the mercenaries. "You just killed our meal ticket! Now we are going to raze the village down."

The army began to charge when an arrow landed at the leaders feet, stopping them in their tracks.

"If you want the village, you will have to get through us first!" came a small voice from behind the ninja.

The Konoha nin turned around to see Inari and a group of villagers on a hilltop each armed with a makeshift weapon.

"Hmmm." Said Kakashi as he turned around. "Well, I guess me and Naruto can even up the odds a little. What do you say Naruto-kun?" he asked his genin.

The blond shrugged before the both of them put their hands together in a very familiar seal.

"Kagebunshin No Jutsu." Were the words that came from their mouths as each of them created close to a hundred clones.

The mercenaries' reaction was clear and hilarious as most of them jumped off of the bridge with screams of "this village is not worth dying for." By the time all of them were gone, the Naruto clones were all on the ground laughing, some of them poofing out of existence as they clutched their stomachs in pain.

Tane stepped close to Kakashi as the villagers came to the bridge and started celebrating their victory.

"The hunter-nin wishes to speak with you." Said the younger Jounin before they were both dragged into hugs and kisses from the civilian population.

X—X—X—X—X

Haku watched, a little bit nervous as the villagers laughed and danced at their victory. Even though it made him happy that they had won their freedom, he did not know how they would treat him if they found out he was on the opposing side.

Haku watched as Kakashi approached him, slipping out of the throng of merrymakers unnoticed.

"Tane says you wish to speak to me." Said the Jounin, seemingly undisturbed and very off guard though Haku knew that being a Jounin meant he was ready at all times.

"hai." Said Haku, wincing against his broken ribs. "I wish to join you. I wish to see things from a different perspective. I wish to have a stable home." He said, not wanting to hide the truth.

Kakashi scratched his chin making a show of thinking before he responded. "well, since Naruto did not kill you, I guess I could give you a chance. But, I will need to discuss with the teams before I can give you a definite answer on whether we will take you back with us. You are welcome to recuperate with us in the meanwhile."

Haku smiled and nodded. He would accept anything even as small as the sparing of his life. After all, whether he got to go to Konoha or not, he would have a new beginning as soon as he was fit.

X—X—X—X—X

The next few days went by slowly, the two genin of Team 7 taking their time to rest and get better in the absence of their Jounin. Team 11 had left the very same day their mission was over, Tazuna thanking them for their service and ensuring that their payment would be delivered soon.

Sakura had woken up a few hours after the battle had finished and had woken up to see the overjoyed tears of Naruto, who of course tried to cover it up much to the teasing of Haku who lay on the opposite side of the room. The three grew to become close friends over the three days Kakashi had taken to deliver the Demon Brothers along with the head of Momochi Zabuza to the Mizukage. The Jounin had left the nuke-nin's large Zanbato which was found out to be named Kubikiri Houcho in Haku's care, trusting the young boy not to attempt to kill the two genin. Haku had gratefully accepted the gift, being the only physical possession that he had of Zabuza and also pushing across the fact that he had little chance of killing anyone with a properly broken leg and a few broken ribs.

Team 7 along with Haku finally left the Wave five days after the battle, waiting till the bridge was fully completed and also helping in the process. Though Haku could still not walk, he had recovered enough to be able to be piggy backed by Kakashi without hurting his ribs. Little did they know that Tazuna had decided to name the bridge after their deeds, calling it the Great Naruto Bridge, the pathway of friendship, in honor of the many hearts and minds the boy along with the help of his teammate and sensei had managed to change in the few days he had spent with them.

The team known as Team 7, specially one boy with the name of Uzumaki Naruto, had definitely left their imprint in the history of the Wave for many generations to come and Tazuna was very sure that he would continue to affect others lives till the day he died and maybe even after.

X—X—X—X—X

Alright!!! Finally done!! Sorry bout the delay, was very, very busy for the past week so I thought I would give you a longer than usual chapter

Well anywayyyysss… as usual

REVIEW!!!


	10. Chapter 10 : Of Rewards and Sentences

-silentwriter- : cool though I am quite confused as to what you feel I have skipped.

I feel the kyuubi only became a major thing because Sakura was still awake during the kyuubi episode, while it was Sasuke who was out cold…. This time though… both of them were out and neither would have known about it to make much of an issue…. I expect both the Jounin to have known about it beforehand. As for Hisemi and Heni, don't worry. They will have their own reaction to it later… butttt, I can amend that here if you want so much

As for the replacement, I have always wondered why they always needed to replace themselves with inanimate objects. I mean, if Zabuza planned to use a white rabbit as a replacement, why cant people use others?

Okay. Enough ranting… on with the chapter!!

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 10 : Rewards and Sentences

The trip back to Konoha went slow, none of the four shinobi wanting to get back to Konoha as soon as possible. It wasn't as if Haku had much of a choice in their speed anyway.

The group was pretty quiet most of the way, Naruto too deep in thought to bother chattering. However both Sakura and Haku noticed this, Haku being the first to try and break the silence.

"Ne Naruto-kun. Can I ask you something?" asked Haku to which Naruto only grunted in response.

"What was that chakra you used on the bridge?" Haku asked.

Naruto literally choked on his bottle of water as he went along, stopping on the road to catch his breath. Even Kakashi stumbled at the question, which both Haku and Sakura also noticed.

The blond boy looked at his sensei with a panicked face, not sure what to do. The Jounin could only give him a smile and nod, it was Naruto's choice and Kakashi would respect it no matter what he decided.

The blond boy looked down at the ground as he walked forward, choosing to ignore the question.

"Naruto!" called Sakura as she ran after him. "Tell us."

Naruto didn't respond but kept on walking. Sakura would have gone after him had Kakashi's hand not stopped her.

"Let him be, Sakura-chan. Some things are better left to be told when they are ready." Said the Jounin.

Sakura looked at Kakashi for a moment before nodding, one thing remaining on her mind as they walked all the way back to Konoha in silence. What could be so bad that it would make Naruto quiet and why could he not tell her?

X—X—X—X—X

The very first thing the team did as soon as they reached Konoha was to go to the hospital and get Haku checked in for his wounds. Though Naruto questioned as to why they were not reporting to the Hokage tower once that was done.

"Well Naruto, not all of us escaped without any injuries you know, unlike you. Sakura and I still need to get checked up by a proper doctor. Besides this particular mission report involves Haku-kun as well, so the Hokage said that he would come to the hospital so that we could report." Explained Kakashi to the genin.

Surely enough, the Sandaime chose that very moment to enter the room followed by two ANBU whom he immediately dismissed.

"Hokage-sama!" exclaimed one of the doctors in the room as the two ANBU left the room. "Are you sure you want to remain in the room unprotected?"

"It's okay, Matsui-kun. I doubt a Chuunin level ninja would be able to threaten me with a broken leg much less in the presence of an ex ANBU captain." Said the Hokage.

Matsui smiled. "Hai Hokage-sama, it is not him whom I'm afraid of. What if…"

The poor doctor was unable to complete his sentence before he was lifted by the scruff of his neck and pinned against the wall by one of the ANBU members who had seemingly just left.

"Say it and I will promise you that you will never see the light of day again." Growled the bear masked nin.

The Hokage chuckled. "I would advise you not to talk about Naruto-kun like that around my ANBU, Matsui-kun. In fact I would consider you lucky you weren't already subjected to Kakashi's Sharingan."

Truth to be told, Kakashi had had an urge to put the man in a genjutsu but had sensed Bear nearby and had decided to let the poor man off.

"I suggest you finish your job and leave the room before you make any further mistakes, Matsui-san." Said Kakashi as the ANBU dropped the poor man unceremoniously, making a show of giving Naruto a playful rub on his head before leaving the room again.

The doctor hurriedly gave Kakashi and Sakura a quick check-up before he literally ran out of the room followed by his assistant.

"Alright." Said the Hokage as the room cleared of all civilian and other shinobi. "Now Kakashi has sent me a pretty detailed briefing via a scroll before you arrived today but there are a few questions I would like to ask you myself."

The trio of youngsters nodded, waiting for the Hokage to continue.

"First of all, regarding the events at the bridge, I would like to congratulate you both on three successful bounties collected. I have given the money to your mother, Sakura and Naruto should know where I put his share. Now, the money I have given you also includes some of the bounty from Zabuza's head which Kakashi says he could not have gotten without your help. In addition to this, as my way of rewarding you on your progress and achievements as a two man cell, here are two scrolls containing one easy element manipulation exercise as well as one hard exercise. Since Kakashi has taught you some Earth Element jutsu, my gift to you, Haruno Sakura, is a scroll on Earth Manipulation. And for you, Uzumaki Naruto, I have one of the few scrolls on Wind Manipulation."

There was a slight pause as Kakashi added. "It's true." Effectively stopping all arguments and complaints they might have had. Haku concurred with Kakashi. He had seen their first meeting and knew that if it weren't for the two genins' intervention that Zabuza would have stood a chance in capturing and maybe even killing Kakashi.

The Hokage continued, turning to Sakura. "Second, I would like to apologize to you on behalf of the Konoha Shinobi Forces for the stunt Sasuke pulled on you." Said the Sandaime with a bow. "I plan to put this issue into the council and ask that they ban Uchiha Sasuke from being a shinobi and that they seal his chakra as it is a threat to friendly shinobi and civilians alike. Though with the council leaders pitying him for being the sole surviving Uchiha, it is very likely that he will be given a probation which is most likely to be put into effect after the upcoming Chuunin Exams, which brings me to the third issue."

The Hokage paused and fixed the two genin of Team 7 with a firm gaze.

"I would personally like it if you two would enter the Chuunin exams along with a temporary partner of my choosing. The exams begin in the coming week and I would like it if you would monitor Sasuke and his team during the progress of the exams. Kakashi will give you the details once you are rested from your journey."

"Last but not least comes the issue of our new friend." Said the Sandaime as he turned to Haku. "I gather from Kakashi that you would like to join our village?"

The boy nodded with a softly murmured "Hai."

"Well, that should be easy considering you have no previous allegiances. However, you will have to go under a probation period to see if we can trust you not to reveal our troop details to anyone. I would like to have had you for the Chuunin exams but it seems that it is out of the question with that leg of yours. But nevertheless I shall make sure you are tested for your rank as soon as you are fit. Will that be okay?" asked the Sandaime with a smile to which Haku nodded.

"Alright. That is all for me, with your leave, I must return to my dreaded enemy that is the paperwork." Said the Sandaime with a sigh before he vanished from the room.

"Sometimes I ask myself how he became the Hokage." Said Naruto as he stood up and stretched his muscles.

"Why do you say that?" asked Kakashi. "Hokage-sama is the strongest and the smartest of all Konoha ninja alive."

"If he is so smart, then why doesn't he think of using Kagebunshin for his paperwork?" asked Naruto with a serious look.

There was a crash as Sakura fell off the bed, clutching her stomach and fighting off tear while laughing. Even Kakashi had to admit that the solution the boy had come up with was very simple.

"Alright, why don't you two head off now and we'll meet tomorrow to discuss the Chuunin Exams. I'm sure Sakura will want some time off to spend with her mother." Said Kakashi as he sat back down on the bed.

The two genin wasted no time jumping off of the bed. Both of them walking out the door in no apparent hurry.

"Want me to walk you home Sakura-chan?" asked Naruto as they exited the hospital.

"Are you asking me out on a date Naruto?" asked the girl jokingly.

"No, no." said the boy quickly, waving his hands about. "I was just thinking that it would be best since your house is on the way to Ichiraku's."

Sakura laughed again. "Can't live without ramen now can you?" she asked.

The boy grinned. "You know me Sakura-chan. Ramen is the food of kings!" he exclaimed.

Sakura giggled. "Ne, Naruto-kun." She said. "How come you don't ask me out anymore?"

The kun that Sakura had added to the end of his name didn't pass the boys attention as he walked on deciding not to think too much about it.

"Well." Said the boy as he scratched the back of his head. "I kinda figured it was a waste of time since you never said yes to any of my proposals."

The tone Naruto used had been pegged down, Sakura realized as the boy went into a thoughtful mood. Through all their jokes, they had not realized they were so close to her home.

"So does that mean you would have continued asking if I didn't blow you off like I did before?" She asked as she stopped in front of her home.

"Yeah." Said the boy with a smile. "Though I wouldn't call it being blown off. It was more like getting killed for each proposal." He said adding a small laugh to the end of the sentence.

Sakura smiled as she reached for her doorknob. "Would you mind waiting till I go get changed into some easier clothes and maybe we can try that again?" she asked as she turned back slightly, waiting for an answer.

The boy was dumbfounded. Here he was almost giving up on ever getting a date with the girl and she was hinting that he ask her again?

"Are you saying you want to go on a date? With me?" asked the boy, his mouth still agape.

"That is if your greedy stomach can wait till I get freshened up a bit. Otherwise we can do it another time." Said the girl as she entered the house.

There was a shout of "I'll wait!" before the door managed to close. Sakura smiled as she imagined the blond boy bounding all over the place whooping in joy.

Naruto was pacing all over the front porch of Sakura's house, slapping himself every now and then, wishing fervently that this was no dream when Sayaki came to the house.

"Naruto-kun?" asked the elder woman as she neared him. "Something the matter?"

Naruto literally jumped as he was surprised by the sudden voice.

"Uh… no, no… I'm just nervous." He managed to reply.

"Nervous about what?" asked the elder Haruno.

"A…. A….D…Date…" stuttered the young boy. Here he was trying to tell the mother of the girl he was finally going out with that they were actually going out.

Sayaki laughed. "So she finally asked you out huh?" she said, breaking into laughter between sentences. "Okay. Any plans on where you two are going?" she asked.

The boy shook his head. "The only place I go to is Ichiraku's." he said now that he was a bit more confident about Sayaki's reaction towards the news.

"Now, now Naruto-kun." She scolded. "Ramen is good once in a while but it isn't always good for you. Why don't you go to the sushi shop near the center? It's Sakura's favorite." Said Sayaki with a wink. "I better go in now before Sakura comes and figures out I helped you with that." She continued before she walked away, throwing a quick "Have fun" his way as she went inside.

Sakura came downstairs not too soon afterwards, dressed in a brown sleeveless vest and black shorts. She wore black fingerless gloves and had her kunai pouch as well as her scroll pouch on her body as always. She even wore her hair in a ponytail much like Ino's. All in all, she looked like a totally different girl as she came out of the building. Naruto would have confused her with someone else had it not been for her unmistakable pink hair.

"You like it?" she asked as she gave him a slight twirl.

The flabbergasted blond could only nod, though he forced himself to say some words afterwards. "Wow." He said. "You look beautiful. Though I would have loved it more had you worn your hair short."

"Aw, thank you, Naruto-kun." Said the girl giving him a smile. "Yeah, I thought so as well, but too short a time to actually take a haircut. I can do that tonight when I'm home. Now, shall we?"

The boy nodded as they walked off towards the town center, both eager to fill their stomachs.

X—X—X—X—X

"Ne, Sakura-chan. Do you like sushi?" Naruto asked as the two passed a sushi store.

The girl grinned brightly before nodding. "Of course, it's my favorite."

"Well, I haven't really had anything apart from ramen or your mothers cooking and I was wondering if you would introduce me to sushi." Said the boy as he stopped in front of the sushi store.

Sakura immediately whirled around giving Naruto a wide eyed look. "You have never had sushi?" she asked in disbelief.

The boy shook his head. Though he had had sushi a little before, it was always the ones sold in the grocery stores that he had had and not proper sushi.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Sakura as she grabbed his hand pulling him into the sushi bar as she gave him a small lecture on what sushi was and all the kinds of sushi in the world.

By the time she was done with her lecture they had eaten a total of 20 plates of sushi combined and were too stuff to even move from their spots.

It was coincidentally the same time that Yamanaka decided to enter the very same sushi bar.

"Oh my god." Said the girl as her eyes caught Naruto and Sakura sitting at the same table. "Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is Haruno Sakura eating from the same table as the Dobe."

The comment was said loud enough that both of the intended targets could hear.

"My, my, my." Said Yamanaka Ino as she walked over to them. "Is this a date Forehead girl?" she asked as she positioned herself near the duo's table.

"What's it to you Ino-pig?" replied Sakura, calm and collected as if Ino's insults did not bother her a bit.

"Nothing. Makes me wonder if Konoha has run out of better eligible bachelors than him." she said grabbing a chair and taking a seat before she pointed at Naruto.

This time it was Naruto who responded to the jibe. "Maybe I'm much more eligible to her than someone who would sacrifice her life to save his own."

Ino smiled at Naruto's comment. "I heard. I cannot believe that jerk would do something like that after all the time we spent vying for his attention. He's certainly off my eligible bachelor list." Said the girl with a flick of her hair.

Sakura scoffed. "I wouldn't put anything past him at this point in time." Said the girl and Ino nodded.

"And I can't believe they are even letting him off the hook with just a probationary sentence." Said Ino, exasperated. "I mean that's basically the same thing as betrayal!"

Naruto snorted. "They can't do anything to the Teme. Not when he has the old geezers wrapped around his pinky finger."

"Seriously." Sighed Ino. "I cannot even believe I was in love with such a bastard. I even let it ruin our friendship!" said Ino, obviously feeling guilty for what had happened between tem in the past.

It had been many a year since their relationship had fallen apart because of a simple feud over who would get to date Sasuke. Though now, Sakura had begun to fix it since the happening in their survival exam.

"Ah, where are my manners." Said Sakura, wanting to change the subject direly. "Uzumaki Naruto, meet Yamanaka Ino, my best friend in all of Konoha. Yes Ino, this is a date."

The blond girl's eyes widened as she let out a very soft whistle. "Nice." She said as she stood up from her seat. "Well, I guess I better leave you and your boyfriend alone, alas but I have to go home to report to my father for some clan training session." Said the girl as she jogged out of the sushi bar totally missing the blushes the two genin of team 7 had on their faces.

It was almost sunset when the two genin ended their date and went home. The time after the meal spent discussing both their ninja gear and training regimes as they walked through the outskirts of Konoha. The time flying by as they spent it in each others company.

Sayaki had been home for an exact hour when Sakura had come in, the elder Haruno eager to know the full details of the date. The telling of the tale took place just after dinner and before bed as Sayaki shortened Sakura's hair at the girl's request. By the time the genin was done, she had realized that in fact, she had enjoyed the date very much and wouldn't mind doing it again. However one thing that her mother said that night stuck in her brain till the girl fell asleep.

"This isn't the first date you have been on with him you know. With only the two of you in the squad, every day you spend alone training or doing other stuff can also be considered a date with him. If so, we could say you two have been dating for months." She had said with a wink.

It occurred to her then, as she fell asleep, that Naruto and herself had done almost everything a dating couple would have done while testing the waters.

X—X—X—X—X

The next day began as any other for Sakura, except that she knew this would be no ordinary day for her. Not since the little talk she had had with her mother. Though things would be fine, she knew that things would not be the same as they were before between her and Naruto. She knew that every day and every moment they spent together from last night onwards would both be seen and treated as a date by her and maybe even Naruto.

Her mothers words had made her realize a lot of things had changed between them. She recalled what Haku had told her about the happenings on the bridge after she had been put in to the comatose state by the senbon. Mostly, she recalled what he had said about Naruto's reaction to her seemly death. The anger he had showed, the tears that Haku had seen and most of all, the demonic chakra that Haku had been subject to. The very same chakra that caused Kakashi to tense when talked about. The very same chakra that caused Naruto to clamp shut when spoken about.

A blush appeared on Sakura's face as she put on her hitai-ate like a headband. True to her words, she had gotten her mother to cut her hair short that very night and it was only now that she realized she had done it based on his opinion alone. Ino's short jab came to her mind as she stepped out the door in her new shinobi outfit to greet her teammate and sensei, the title boyfriend coming to her mind as soon as she set eyes on him. A smile graced her face as the trio of Team 7 set off towards their preferred training ground. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad like this after all.

X—X—X—X—X

Sorry for the very short chapter but I don't really like changing the whole mood of the chapter in the middle of it.

Yes this chapter and the date was planned and rest easy knowing that there will be more romance in the future.

From the reviews of the previous chapter, I gather that a lot of you are not so happy with how I have ended it. some of you feel that I have rushed it or even summarized it too far. So… if you want me to rewrite the ending of the chapter, please say so in the reviews for this one and I shall do so.

And for those who were expecting Haku to be the third member, I am very sorry but the boy has a broken leg and will not be able to take part in the Chuunin exams. As such I have a surprise partner in store who you will not get to meet until the second test XD

Anyways… like always… REVIEW!!


	11. Chapter 11 : The day before the Exams

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 11 : Day before the Chuunin Exams

The days since the date turned out to be hectic for both the genin. Kakashi spending every moment of daylight teaching them, training them and trying to work out the flaws and weaknesses the genin had shown during the two missions. Needless to say Kakashi drilled them harder than they had ever been drilled previously in their short careers as ninja. He drilled them so hard that the both of them had to drag themselves to their houses, most of the time falling asleep without even having their dinners.

It was to the genins' relief that Kakashi announced that this last day before the Chuunin exams would be given to the two as a day for rest and recuperation as Kakashi had to attend to a few things regarding their entrance to the exam.

Having trained every day, non-stop for almost a few months, both Sakura and Naruto were up and about early in the morning. The two met at their usual time and decided to head out for a little warm up, during which Kakashi showed up at their meeting spot.

"Good, the both of you are here. That saves me a lot of trouble than having to hunt the both of you down." Said the man as he fumbled in his pouch.

Naruto was about to make a comment on Kakashi and his beloved porn when the Jounin pulled out two forms from it, handing one to each genin.

"Those are your entrance forms. You are to fill them both and meet in front of the exam hall before 9 in the morning. Remember, neither of you showing up on time means that the entire team is disqualified."

Kakashi jumped off the pole and landed in front of the two genin before he continued. "Know that I would have nominated you both for this exam had the Hokage not asked this favor of you. I have seen your performance over a matter of weeks, on two separate dangerous missions and I have seen your capabilities. I am confident that you will both breeze through these exams."

The Jounin smiled at the genin as he looked down upon them. He had meant every word he had said.

"But I will still warn you. There are many shinobi coming from many villages, some you have heard of, some you haven't. Do not underestimate them because they have the title of genin. The title of Chuunin is only given to those who show leadership qualities in battle and to those who show that they can fight as well. Without either of these qualities, you will not get that vest. And as such, there maybe much stronger and faster genin out there than yourselves. Be aware of that at all times."

There was a slight pause as the Jounin paused for breath.

"The Chuunin exam is composed of three tests. Now, even though the exam is being conducted by Konoha-nin, I do not know the exam set-ups. All I know is that there will definitely be a tournament as the final exam. Expect anything for the first two tests. The good news is that you will get most likely about a month of training before the grand tournament. This allows the daimyos and other big heads of countries to come down and to see the fights taking place. It is here that you two need to shine as it is based on this that our clients will hire us. However, first you need to pass the first two tests."

"The council has managed to lower Sasuke's punishment to a mere probation." Said Kakashi after a deep breath. "Which will only take effect after the end of the Chuunin Exams. The Hokage thinks this is a ploy. If Sasuke shows that he is worthy of the Chuunin title then the Hokage believes the council will forgive his punishment as congratulations for the promotion. The Sandaime would like you, as a favor and not an official mission, to keep track of Uchiha Sasuke during all three tests and nothing more."

"Nothing more?" asked Naruto, a bit confused.

"Yes. The Chuunin exams are exams where you have to show your ninja abilities and your skills, be it by hook or crook, to finish the exam. There are almost no rules except the ones the proctors tell you at the beginning. What Sasuke does is his own business. We do not want you to interfere in anything he does, but rather, to let him do it and inform us. Then the Hokage can decide on what the best way is to deal with him. Understood?"

The two genin nodded slightly. Their objective had been laid out to them clearly. They were to be the eyes and the ears of the Hokage during the exams and that was something both of the genin would have fun doing.

"Alright then." Said Kakashi, is visible eye curved upward in a smile. "I wish the both of you the best of luck with the exams."

The Jounin poofed away leaving the two genin to stare at the spot he had been at previously. It took a while before either of the two moved from their spots.

"Ano, Sakura-chan?" said Naruto a bit nervously. "Do you want to go for lunch with me? I mean we haven't really had time with each other since our first date." Though Naruto was trembling all the while he said it, the boy was rather happy about the way he had managed to put the proposal forward.

Sakura looked around with a faked panic. "Now, Naruto-kun, if somebody had heard you, they might think you are my boyfriend."

The boy smiled. "Now what makes you think I have a problem with that?" he asked as he gave her one of his foxy grins.

Sakura laughed at his response. The boy had lightened up a lot within the week, constantly coming up with jokes and statements that had brightened some of their hardest times. She had no idea what had caused him to change from a seemingly loud and obnoxious but hurt boy to this mature and sensible one in such a short time but she found herself thanking whichever power had made this come true. Not only had it been a great aid in developing their skills as a ninja and their teamwork but it also had allowed them to break the barriers between each other as well. Now, she could clearly see the love he had for her and that he was trying his hardest to express it as well as he could. Most of all, the one that she found herself most thankful for was that this change had allowed her to see who he was in reality and had also allowed her to start falling in love with him.

In a classic girly move, the pink haired genin slipped her hand under the boys arm.

"Well." She began. "Since you have no problems being my boyfriend, be a proper one and take me somewhere for lunch."

Naruto chuckled and shook his head as the couple walked off together in arms and with no immediate destination in mind.

X—X—X—X—X

It took both Naruto and Sakura one whole hour to decide on a place to eat, in the end choosing to go Naruto's favorite Ichiraku for their meal, Sakura saying that it wouldn't be nice if they always had her favorite food and not his at all. Of course this brought up the argument that he didn't mind if they never had ramen but even Naruto knew that when Sakura had her mind set on something, there would be no one that would be able to change it.

It was during this very meal that they heard a familiar voice yell out. "Hey! What's with the smoke bombs?"

Curious as to what the commotion was about, Naruto leaned backwards as he looked through the blinds. Sakura, being the smarter one simply turned around and bent over a little.

On a corner of a street not too far away were Hisemi and Heni staggering out of a cloud of smoke, their hands on their mouths and coughing. The two boys turned about with playful angry faces, Heni yelling out a name which was very similar to Konohamaru as the boys ran off down the street and out of Naruto's view.

"You think we should go check tings out?" asked Naruto, eyeing his third and unfinished bowl.

Sakura looked at the boy and at how he was eyeing his bowl of miso ramen with hunger. "I think we can finish our bowls first."

The boy nodded, proceeding to eat his ramen at a slow and decent pace. Sakura smiled as she thought of how much he had changed. Not just his personality, but his manners as well. The messy and untidy boy that kept constantly shoveling ramen into that bottomless pit of his that he called a stomach was now clean and neat, taking his time in doing things well and organized. Sakura chuckled at herself. There was only one thing she currently knew of that would never ever change and that was his appetite. It was one of the things that made him Naruto and she would never ever change that for anything.

It took the both of them exactly five minutes to empty their bowls, pay the man for the total of six bowls and leave the shop heading towards the direction the boys had run off into. The turned the corner only to see a black garbed man lifting a small scarfed boy by the collar of his jacket.

Naruto studied the black garbed man as he and Sakura walked towards them nonchalantly, the blond boys gaze finally coming to rest upon the forehead of the man and the hitai-ate he wore.

"Sand-nin." Whispered Sakura. "Must be here for the Chuunin exams."

"Oy! Let go off me!" yelled the smaller boy as he struggled to free himself from the tight grip the Suna-nin had on him.

The Suna-nin laughed as the boy swung his fists at him. "Now why should I let you go? You were the one that ran into me." Said the face painted man.

"Kankuro!" Came a feminine voice as footsteps came closer to the group. "Leave the boy and let's get to the meeting. Baki will be waiting for us now."

The Suna boy turned slightly, allowing the Konoha group a good look at the new comer. The girl was tall for her age, with piercing blue eyes and blond hair that was tied up. It seemed weird to Naruto that the girl would tie her hair like how farmers would tie bundles of straw as he had done many an occasion during D ranked missions but let it be as it was her choice how she wanted to wear her hair.

The boy in the black garb snorted. "I'm sure Baki would not mind us being a bit late Temari. Besides this boy hasn't even apologized yet." He said with a mischievous smirk.

Apologize, thought Sakura mentally as she watched the events unfold. Apologize and this whole thing is over without a big fuss.

However Heni intervened before the boy could say anything. "Konohamaru is the Hokage's grandson! He does not need to apologize to you nor to anybody! Now, you put him down before the ANBU come for you!"

Sakura mentally slapped her forehead. Heni had just made this very simple situation worse. Now, the Suna-nin would not back down for the simple fact that Konoha-nin could then claimed he backed down from an academy student.

The black garbed man looked at Konohamaru with narrowed eyes. "The Hokage's grandson eh? Well, it is really a pity I am no Konoha-nin." Finished the man as he punched Konohamaru in the stomach before dropping the boy onto the dirt road.

Heni was past the Konoha group, running at the man full tilt with his fist cocked back before Hisemi could stop him. A kunai embedding itself in front and stopping the newly promoted genin in his tracks. The Suna-nin was ready. That much Sakura could see. The package he had on is back was now on the floor, leaning against the palm of his hand.

"Oy, Kankuro." Said the girl with a hint of annoyance. "You're even going to use that?" she asked. "Gaara is going to be pissed if he finds out we were late because of a fight."

"Yeah, yeah." Said Kankuro. "Don't worry. This will be over quick."

Suddenly, a small piece of rock from nowhere hit the Suna-nin on the head. Everyone's eyes turning up into the branches of the tree as a nasal voice came from it.

"I suggest you take her advice and leave." Said Sasuke as he coolly sat on the branch. "You do not want to get into something that you cannot get out of."

Sakura could have sworn she had heard squeals of "Sasuke-kun is so cool." She herself had felt his chakra approaching and was very sure Naruto had too, it was nothing special.

Meanwhile, Kankuro was glaring at Sasuke, cursing himself for not having noticed the Konoha-nin as he arrived. However, it was the second voice that came from the tree that froze both Kankuro's and Temari's blood.

"That is enough, Kankuro." Came a deeper voice from the tree Sasuke was sitting in, a red headed boy appearing on the other side of the tree trunk. The killing intent the boy was emitting totally different from the one that Zabuza had emitted during their time in the Wave.

"G… Gaara!" stuttered Kankuro, the fear evident in his eyes.

"No excuses. A word more and I will kill you. Understand?" said the boy with a glare that nearly made Kankuro piss his pants.

Kankuro nodded, scared to say anything more. The red head with what seemed like a large sake gourd, teleported in front of Kankuro in a whirlwind of sand. The Konoha-nin still in awe as to how the red head had appeared without any of them detecting him. Not even Naruto nor Sakura had detected his chakra either. Not until the boy had spoken out.

"My apologies to the village of Konoha for this little… incident." He said, the coldness of the tone, the lack of emotion in his voice sending shivers through the Konoha nins' bodies. This was one they would have to watch out for during the exams.

The Suna-nin were walking away when Sasuke called out to them.

"Oy! What is your name?" the Uchiha yelled.

The Suna-nin turned around. The girl blushing as she stuttered "M...Me?"

"No." cut off Sasuke. "You, with the gourd, what is your name?"

The red haired boy only turned slightly. Just enough to glare at Sasuke with one corner off his eye before he spoke. "Sabaku no Gaara and you are?"

The Uchiha smirked. "I only give out my name to opponents who prove themselves worthy." Said the boy as he shunshined away leaving no room for the red head to reply. The Suna-nin left without a further word as well.

Naruto saw the relief in the younger nins' faces as the Suna trio left to meet their sensei. He himself had felt something weird and yet familiar about the boy. All he knew for the moment was that the boy was strong, so strong that even his teammates feared him as they feared death. Sabaku no Gaara, eh? He though to himself as he walked off with Sakura beside him, a wry smile adorning his face. These Chuunin exams were sure to be interesting with such people around.

X—X—X—X—X

The couple split up early that day, both deciding to go and rest up since they had no idea what was in store for the next day. Sakura decided to take the longer route home again, taking the time to think through everything.

Her participation in the Chuunin Exams was not an issue. Kakashi had trained them so well that she was confident that the both of them could come through whatever the examiners threw at them in one whole piece. She considered their teamwork amongst the best in the whole of Konoha if not the best in their age group. She even considered it to be good enough to rival Ino-Shika-Cho's teamwork, as her best friends team liked to call themselves.

Individually, she considered herself to be the top Kunoichi to graduate from her batch of academy students, Ino being the only other. The fact that Ino mainly concentrated on her family Jutsus and being the proper feminine type up until team 11's return from the Wave gave her enough confidence that she could take her on with little to no hassle.

However, what worried her was the Suna trio that she had met today. Compared to her friends in Konoha that she heard about and saw on a weekly basis, the three from Suna seemed to be on a totally different level.

The guy with the black overalls carried a wrapped bundle which she had no idea what it contained. She assumed it to be some sort of mid range weapon, as his body did not look like it was really prepared or built for close combat.

The girl was a wind user for sure, the fan she carried on her back a dead give away. If Sakura had to fight her one on one, Sakura would have to rely on her Doton jutsu knowledge as her little Suiton ability would not be able to stand up against the sheer raw firepower of the wind. The weight of her Doton ninjutsu, however, was a different story. The only problem with this theory was that the few Doton jutsu she knew were very taxing on her chakra supply and that if she met Temari in real battle, she would have to wait for the most opportune moment before striking.

And then there was the scariest of them all, the red headed Sabaku no Gaara. Neither Sakura nor Naruto had any clue as to what his abilities were. Neither of them had observed anything that suggested what type of ninja or techniques the boy used. Sure, they had seen the sand teleportation, however that did not mean he used sand. Kakashi had used the leaf teleportation many a time and he didn't use leaves to fight. Yet this also didn't mean that sand was not his weapon either. She might have over ruled it before the wave, but she had seen and met a boy that used ice as a weapon. A few drops of water converted to ice with the input of wind chakra turned those simple drops of water into a cold and sharp weapon. These simple words had come from the ice user himself and thus, both Sakura and Naruto had left sand as possible weapon. The real question was, how skilled were this trio and were they the only team to come from the other villages that would be this strong.

Sakura turned into a narrow alleyway, making handseals as she rounded the corner, the genjutsu falling into effect immediately. The pink haired girl jumped up onto the roof of a nearby building as she formed more handseals, glancing down as she let the second genjutsu fall into place on the man following her. You underestimate me, Iruka-sensei, she thought with a smile as she watched the Chuunin walk through the alleyway as if he was still stalking something. Sakura had noticed him since she had parted ways with Naruto, the familiar chakra signature following her every move becoming rather comforting than worrying. It had been one of the reasons she had taken this route than the shorter and more direct one, the first being to clear her mind. The double layered genjutsu would still be in effect until she got home, the distance between the caster and the jutsu the only thing causing it to fall apart.

Sakura was deep in thought as to why Iruka would follow her when she felt something start to wrap around her leg. The girl glanced down and leaped back as she saw a vine growing out from the concrete rooftop. Mokuton Ninjutsu! She realized as she landed a few feet away. But it was only an ability that the first Hokage, Senju Hashirama had, none of his children gaining the ability.

A small gust of wind alerted Sakura to an incoming fist, the girl ducking under the punch, hoping to land a blow on the attacker. However the attacker was faster than she assumed, pivoting away from her fist, trying to plant his heel onto the top of her head only to see that the girl had rolled away from where his foot landed. Sakura wasted little time, propelling herself with her two feet, trying to tackle the man as he tried to locate her. Yet the man twisted away, placing a hand on her back, shoving her towards the concrete.

Sakura used her hands to break her fall, flipping herself so she landed facing the onrushing attacker. By this time, Sakura knew her attacker was serious and holding nothing back. Well, it didn't matter what he wanted, she thought as she prepared herself to go full out. All she knew was that she would make him work for whatever he had come here for.

X—X—X—X—X

Things had gone mostly the same for Naruto, the boy instead deciding to go to his favorite spot to think on the future exams and it was here that he was confronted with his opponent.

It had all started off with an appearance from Sasuke as he left towards home, the Uchiha following the blond boy through the street where Naruto had finally lost his patience and turned around to confront Sasuke.

"Why are you following me, Teme?" hissed the blond boy as he whirled around at the Uchiha.

Sasuke gave Naruto his usual smirk. "I'm just going home as you are Dobe. Can't you see that? Or are you too blind?"

Naruto gritted his teeth at Sasuke's taunt. He was reaching his tolerance limit with the other boy's arrogance, yet this was neither the time nor the place to humiliate the egotistic boy.

Naruto smiled knowing that it would irk the number one rookie. "Everyone knows that this road does not lead to the Uchiha compound, Sasuke." He said, using his name to add more fuel to the fire. "Are you lost?"

The Uchiha took a step forward before he was able to withhold himself. "No, no. I just wanted to know why you and your girlfriend didn't lift a finger to help the young boy today. Too chicken for that?"

Naruto took the taunt like a man. "No, not at all. I mean, I'm not as fame hungry as you are to flaunt around my skills and my strength like you do. Besides, it wasn't me who had to replace himself with Sakura so that he wouldn't be scratched."

This last sentence Naruto had spoken had done it. The enraged Uchiha dashing towards Naruto with speed he had never shown before. However, Naruto stood his ground and watched Sasuke come closer before he put his hand in the ram seal and yelled out the word "Kai!"

Sasuke immediately vanished to be replaced by a fist sized rock which Naruto caught easily.

"I am not fooled so easily Neko-chan." Spoke Naruto as he tossed the rock into some shadows, tapping his nose as he spoke. His nose was almost infallible and unless the rock had been rubbed all over Sasuke before it had been thrown, it was very unlikely that it would have been thrown off.

"I can see that Naru-kun." Said the voice of the ANBU member as she stepped out of the shadows. "Looks like you aren't so vulnerable to genjutsu after all."

Naruto grinned. Of course he was, it was his greatest weakness, but he wasn't going to confess it for anyone listening to hear.

"So, I assume you are here to test me before the Chuunin Exams?" Naruto asked as he tensed. As always, a test consisted of three parts, Genjutsu, Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. Now would be the time that the other half of the exam started.

"Right on as always." Said the cat masked ANBU. "Sakura-chan is being tested as we speak." Finished the cat, a hint of tease in her voice as she spoke Sakura's name.

"So, you think we can finish mine?" asked Naruto as he stepped into a ready stance that Neko had not seen before. "I have a few cups of ramen waiting for me at home."

"Ah, Naruto-kun." Said Neko as she took one step closer. "It has already begun."

The blond boy looked at the female ANBU for a moment before it struck him. He had been wondering why Neko had made no moves even though she had said the test had begun. Of course she wouldn't, thought Naruto as he dived to a side barely avoiding the heel that slammed into the floor where he had been standing on earlier. It wasn't her that was testing him at all!

Naruto was barely able to bring himself to a stop before he had to dodge again, clumsily avoiding the earth spike that erupted from where he had paused. The blond boy kept leaping from spot to spot as the spikes kept erupting out from underneath him making him twist and turn in mid air.

Naruto quickly formed some handseals as his back turned towards Bear, blowing small balls of flame at the ANBU as he turned to face him. Impressive, Thought Neko as she watched the small duel take place. The boy had arced the flame balls just so that the larger and more knowledgeable ANBU member could not use the Doryuuheki as a defensive jutsu causing the large ANBU member to leap backwards where Naruto had wanted him to go.

The boy wasted no time, launching something from he produced from his pocket straight at the nin, rushing the big man immediately afterwards. The speed of the projectile surprised Bear as he realized the force with which it had been thrown, a reflexive hand coming up to catch it. Both Bear and Neko realized what it was the moment he caught it. the very same rock that Neko had thrown under the genjutsu.

If this was the rock that Neko had thrown at Naruto, what exactly had the boy tossed into a corner? Bear was about to move when he found himself weighed down. The man managed to glance down before he resigned himself to defeat. Clinging to his legs were a dozen of Naruto's clones and this gave him the answer to what Naruto had tossed into the shadows. There was a slight tap on Bear's mask as Naruto stood in front of him.

"I win." Were the only words the boy spoke as his grin spread across his face.

The clones vanished allowing Bear to stand up to his full height as well as move freely. It was the sound of clapping that turned both their attention to Neko.

"Impressive, Naru-kun." She said as she walked closer. "An adaptation of Kakashi-sempai's Tsuiga no Jutsu I see. Very good under the circumstances." Finished the cat masked female.

Bear nodded in agreement. "In reality you would have killed an ANBU level ninja had this not been an exercise."

"In reality you would not have let me go this easily." Said Naruto.

"The genjutsu perhaps." Spoke Bear. "But I still would have underestimated you had I been trying to end your life and you still would have cornered me. Had you not known me, can you say you would not have dealt the final blow?"

Naruto shook his head. He himself knew that he would have killed Bear had he had a single doubt about his motives.

"Well, in any case, you pass this test with flying colors. Hokage-sama has asked us to let you ask us three questions in total, about something you wish to know about. Note that the questions must be asked now." Said Neko as she stood beside her ANBU teammate.

"What's this test about?" Asked Naruto.

"The Hokage wanted to see your growth. Both yours and Haruno's. Thus he assigned our ANBU squad the task of testing you two, separately and based on your weaknesses." Stated Bear.

"Why separately?" Asked Naruto, using up the second of his three questions.

"After observing you two for a week, the Hokage has come to the conclusion that your teamwork is almost perfect apart from the fact that you two will still improve and add on to it. The only concern for him while assigning this mission to you would be on how you handled yourselves IF and when you were separated from each other and left to fend for yourselves." Said Neko.

"Last question." Said Bear.

"What happens if either of us fails?" asked Naruto. In truth there were a lot of questions that he wanted to ask. A lot of information he wanted to gain from the two experienced ninja. But he had a limit of how many questions he could ask and this last one, seemed to be the most important at this particular time.

"Simple. We beat the loser up so bad that neither of you can join the exams."

Naruto smiled. It had not been long since Kakashi had informed them of what would happen had even a single one of them not chosen to go through with the exam. However, there was no need for him to worry about their entrance. There was absolutely no way that Sakura was going to fail her test and in the end it would be their team that walked through the doors of the exam hall to take the Chuunin Exams.

Naruto bowed to the two ANBU, turning and walking off towards his home where he planned to rest and sleep for the duration of the night. The two ANBU could only stare as the form of the boy disappeared into the distance.

"Does he not care about the welfare of his team mate?" whispered Bear to Neko as Naruto vanished.

However, it was not Neko who replied, but the voice of Kakashi. "Back-up is not the only aspect teamwork has. There should also be something we like to call faith in our teammate's abilities. You would do well to remember that."

The clone poofed away before either of the ANBU could say a word.

X—X—X—X—X

Meanwhile Sakura was having a harder time with her test than she had anticipated at the beginning. It was clear to her that after five minutes of dodging and trying to counter her opponent, that the man was far more skilled than a Chuunin, possibly even a Jounin. The question was though, why was he targeting her? To make it easier for their team in the Chuunin Exams? If so it didn't make much sense. Neither Naruto nor Sakura had shown the genin their full potential. Not even enough to be considered a proper threat and surely not enough to warrant an attack on them. Come to think of it she didn't even know if Naruto was being attacked at all. She wanted answers and there was only one way she was going to get them. Beat him first.

Sakura jumped away from the incoming fist of the enemy shinobi, rolling on the ground before she came to her feet panting. She had good stamina, but not good enough to last for so long against a higher level ninja. She needed to finish this fast and she knew it would take something out of the ordinary to do that. Sakura ran through the technique files in her brain, looking for a jutsu or a trick that might work against her enemy.

There was one jutsu that she found that could possibly work. A jutsu that the man would not expect a genin of her caliber to know, a jutsu that she had found in a scroll in her house. Her father's she had assumed. However she was no master of that jutsu and she would need the man to be disoriented or even surprised for a short while. Even the slightest opening would do for her. Now what did she have in her arsenal that could do that job?

When the answer hit her, she could not believe how simple it had been. Smiling, Sakura dived and stood still, waiting for her opponent to charge her, which he did without delay. She could only hope that she timed it right and it worked. If it didn't, she was royally screwed.

Sakura formed handseals as she watched the onrushing opponent, waiting till the last moment when she used a simple academy jutsu to turn the tables on her opponent.

Sakura mentally thanked Sasuke for showing her that the jutsu could be used that way. If he hadn't replaced himself with her, neither she nor Naruto would have ever even thought to practice Kawarimi on living and moving objects. And Sakura knew that if not for the very quick Kawarimi, that this combination of jutsu would not work at all.

Sakura quickly jabbed her opponent behind the neck before speaking the words, "Kanashibari no Jutsu." as she effectively paralyzed her opponent. The pink haired Kunoichi was reaching for her Kunai to finish the man off when the body she had just trapped fell to the ground as a heap of wood. Her heart nearly stopped at the sight.

It wasn't an easy job to replace herself with a living object. It was harder yet for her to replace herself with something moving as well. The drain on her chakra reserves so great that she could only afford to do it twice before she would faint due to chakra exhaustion. The fact that the man had been a clone meant that the real offender was still around and that her fight was not over yet. Worse, Sakura was very low on chakra.

Sakura had literally resigned herself to defeat when the sound of clapping reached her ears. The young girl turned around to see the very same man that had attacked her now applauding her.

"Good job Sakura." Came Kakashi's voice as the Jounin also appeared next to the other man. "You passed the Hokage's test."

Test? The question rang out inside Sakura's head and she was sure her expression had betrayed the question when Kakashi continued.

"The test was to see how both you and Naruto would handle yourselves if you were separated from each other. Whether you would fall apart as a team or if you would be able to handle yourselves. I am proud to say that both of you passed the tests with flying colors."

The next one to speak was the man next to Kakashi.

"As to how you passed it, you were able to defeat my Moku Bunshin. It has roughly the same chakra and abilities that a low level Jounin has. I never expected for you to use the Kawarimi in such a way though it is very interesting. I shall record that information about the technique. Maybe the ANBU forces could benefit of such an ingenious usage of academy level technique."

The man took a slight break before continuing in order to let the information sink into Sakura. He waited a few more seconds before he himself continued. "It has also come to my attention that you possess both water and earth affinities which is why I volunteered to test you." He said as he paused. "With Kakashi's permission, I would like it if I could train you. That is if you make it to the final stage of the exams." Said the man as he looked at Kakashi.

The silver haired Jounin nodded and the man vanished without a further word.

"Do not worry about Tenzo. Even though he maybe weird, he is one of the most loyal of ANBU I have ever served with. And as for his offer, I think you should take it. After all, his Mokuton abilities also stem from the two affinities you possess. Who knows, maybe you will be the first non-Senju to be able to use Mokuton." Said Kakashi with a smile. "You do not need to give him an answer now. Simply tell me when you have reached a decision and I will pass the message on. Now, if you have no further questions, I suggest you go rest. Tomorrow will be a tough day."

Sakura was too busy filing all of the information in her brain that she did not even notice when Kakashi left. She ended up walking home as if in a hypnotized state, the delayed reaction of passing this preliminary test only occurring the moment she hit the bed.

Across the village of Konoha, the other half of Team 7 was deep in sleep with a smile adorning his face. Tomorrow was the beginning of the Chuunin Exams and there was no way they were going to mess things up.

X—X—X—X—X

**Alright!! Finalllllyyyyy!!! Yeah I know I've been keeping u guys waiting for so long. I got my lap confiscated and it stopped my work in the middle. Now I have it back and am looking forward to updating more frequently again.**

**Btw… im srry if u guys feel the ending is rushed… I feel it too… but I cant seem to be able to figure out what I can add to it :/**

**Anywayysssss. REVIEW!!!!**


	12. Chapter 12 : First Phase

**Yo!**

**Time to answer some reviews.**

**Darak: About your review on chapter 1. Kakashi did not know where the scroll was. Instead he followed Naruto's chakra signature and simply stumbled on it before Naruto did. Besides it wasn't hidden either, just dropped. It took Naruto a while longer to find it because the trees look so similar to each other.**

**Xzavx: hmmm… I would if I could… though he isn't knuckleheaded in this one at all… but… I think it's a bit too late to put that in now… sorry.**

**Animaman: no… that wouldn't be a blow to him at all… why? Because then he got beaten by a member of an elite clan... Naruto like this without a kekkei genkai beating him would be a blow like no other…**

**X--X--X--X--X  
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Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 12

The First Chuunin Exam

The morning of the Chuunin Exams was one of the busiest mornings Konoha had seen. The numbers of people traveling to the academy where the first exam was to take place dwarfed the number of people that would normally be seen on the road at that time on any other day. This included the teams that were participating as well as the parents and the families as well as the Jounin-sensei's and well wishers that tagged along with the group.

Naruto and Sakura arrived at the academy doorstep just a minute before 9 in the morning and was met by Kakashi.

"You two were almost late." Said the Jounin as he watched the two genin come up to him.

"Almost, but not quite. Doesn't mean we are Kakashi-sensei." Stated Sakura.

"So what happens now? Do we wait for our third member?" asked Naruto, still in his bright orange jumpsuit.

"No. He's already inside. You two will not meet him until the second exam. It is for the safety of your mission." Replied Kakashi. "You may go in when you are ready, the exam is taking place on the 3rd floor." Said the Jounin before he shunshined away.

"He didn't even wish us good luck." Said Sakura as the duo entered the academy.

"Maybe he feels that we do not need it at all." Replied Naruto as they both walked up the stairs.

Upon reaching the second floor of the academy, the duo of Team 7 noticed a small crowd gathered at one of the doors labeled 302. Amongst the crowd were a few genin of Konoha as well as other genin from other shinobi villages.

However, what caught their attention was what was happening exactly in front of the door. Is that Gai's team? Thought Naruto as he elbowed Sakura and pointed over to the crowd. The pink haired girl looked over just in time to see a boy clad in green spandex thrown back into the crowd.

A girl dressed in a light peach colored blouse kneeled next to the boy in spandex as she looked up at the two boys that had beat up her team mate. "Please." She spoke. "You must let us through. We only want to take the exam."

The boy with a bandage over his nose laughed at this. "The Chuunin exam is no place for weaklings like you. Go home to your mothers, come back when you can face up to us." He said.

"I can't believe they are even falling for this." Whispered Sakura in disbelief. "Did they not even count the number of flights they walked up?"

"Well," whispered back Naruto. "I'm pretty sure Neji would have noticed by now. Maybe they are playing along with Kotetsu and Izumo."

"Atleast it will weed out the weakest teams taking the exams, those who cannot see past even this simple genjutsu do not deserve to be in these exams." Said Sakura.

It was then that the two noticed Sasuke and his team climb up the very stairs they had climbed a minute or two ago.

"There goes the genjutsu." Said Sakura with a sigh.

Sakura's deduction proved to be dead on as the raven haired boy paused near the door.

"You will remove this genjutsu and allow us to pass." Stated the Uchiha. "Surely you noticed it before I did, right Hisemi?" he asked as he glanced towards the Hyuuga on his team.

"I'm surprised no one counted the number of flights. We came up only two yet the room says 302. Anyone who did not see that surely does not deserve to be Chuunin." Said Hisemi.

"Then why did you not let it be and instead continue on your way up? Think you can take on all the competition half-ling?" Spat a Hyuuga as he appeared from the crowd.

Hisemi immediately snapped and charged at the lavender eyed Hyuuga, swinging his leg to kick the other boy only for the spandex clad boy to step in the middle. The speed with which the boy had moved with drew audible gasps from the onlookers as some of them began to wonder how the other two had managed to throw someone so fast so easily.

"It is not wise for us Konoha-nin to fight before the beginning of the exam. It shall only serve to diminish our flames of Eternal Youth if we were to get disqualified because of a clan spat." Said the boy.

The Hyuuga behind him sighed before waving over to the remaining member of the team. "Lee, Tenten, come. We are leaving." He said as he walked past a still fuming Hisemi. Naruto was amazed that Hisemi had the willpower to not try a sneak attack as the Hyuuga passed him by. But then again maybe the other Hyuuga is just too strong. The blond haired boy returned his attention to spandex boy as he received a fist imprint on his head from his female team mate.

"And you were the one who said we should not show even a measure of our skills before the exam started and now look what you have done." She hissed as she passed him by.

The boy could only mutter a soft gomen before he walked off after his team mates. However, he stopped as his eyes rested upon Sakura, immediately brightening as he introduced himself.

"You must be the ever blooming blossom Sakura!" he exclaimed in a rather loud voice. "I have heard stories of your beauty but even these are nothing when you compare them to what your beauty is in reality! I promise to protect you with my life if you promise to go on a date with me!" He yelled as he gave Sakura a nice guy pose along with his flashy teeth smile and a wink.

To say Sakura was taken aback would be saying the least, however to her credit, Sakura managed to control herself before she freaked out. "I… I'm already… with… someone." She managed to stammer.

The look upon Lee's face that resulted from the piece of information was the exact opposite of what they had witnessed a moment ago. It seemed to Naruto as if Lee's dreams and hopes had been crushed. Naruto was about to speak when Lee's mood did another 180 degree turn. Lee's face lit up again as he gave Sakura another nice guy pose before speaking.

"Yosh! The flames of youth burn brightly between you and Naruto-kun! I must train harder in order to win your heart from him! Remember that the lotus of Konoha blooms twice!" said the boy as he rushed off after his team, leaving both Naruto and Sakura stunned.

"How did he know that you and me?" mumbled Naruto.

"Has he been stalking us?" whispered Sakura.

Neither of them had noticed that Sakura had immediately grabbed Naruto's hand as Lee had started talking to her and that they had not let go of each others hand until that point.

X—X—X—X—X

By the time Naruto and Sakura reached the final stairwell to the third floor, the face off was already taking place.

"I wish to fight you Uchiha Sasuke, the one who is claimed to be the Number One rookie of this year." Came Lee's voice.

"Why would I wish to fight a nobody?" came Sasuke's retort.

"My name is Rock Lee, and I am the current strongest genin in Konoha. You should only give your name to opponents who are worthy is it not Sasuke-kun?" said Lee. "Or is the elite Uchiha too scared to fight me?"

Naruto slapped his forehead and Sakura sighed. It was the only way to get Sasuke to agree to anything. Call him a coward if he didn't and he would jump headfirst into anything. And this particular fight, they knew he was going to be owned.

They watched as Lee dropped to the floor and took the readying stance for the Goken. The duo decided to stay and watch the fight unfold. Even though they had spent time shadowing Team Gai, trying to figure out their strengths and weaknesses, they had come up more often with less than nothing.

Naruto watched as Sasuke activated his Sharingan before charging at Lee and realized the Uchiha's plan.

"He's going to copy all of Lee's jutsu's." he whispered to Sakura.

"Not a bad plan." Admitted Sakura. "He doesn't need to win this fight to gain something."

"Ah, the legendary Sharingan, I am sad to say it will not help you much during this fight." Said Lee as he virtually disappeared before appearing under Sasuke.

"Konoha Senpuu!" came the words as Sasuke was kicked back where he came from.

"Why?" growled Sasuke. "Why does my Sharingan not help me?"

"The Sharingan possesses the ability to copy all types of jutsu as well as predict what jutsus the opponent may use. But what happens if the opponent uses strictly taijutsu which the Sharingan cannot predict? Even though your eyes may be able to follow my speed, it does not mean that your body can keep up with me." Said the boy as he disappeared, once again appearing under Sasuke, this time kicking him up into the air.

"Kage Buyou." Came Lee's voice as he appeared under Sasuke, exactly where his shadow would have been.

The bandages around Lee's hands began to unfurl and slowly move towards Sasuke as if to bind him. This is not good, thought Naruto, but he knew he could not interfere in this particular fight. It might cost him the examinations and he could not disappoint Sakura.

A shuriken suddenly shot out from nowhere, pinning the bandage to the wall and snapping Lee out of whatever trance he was in. The boy immediately canceled the technique and landed on his knees. Sasuke however was not as lucky and landed on his back hard.

Naruto and Sakura watched on as a turtle appeared in a large cloud of smoke and started berating the young genin. Most of it was too quiet for the duo to hear but they managed to pick up some words such as forbidden jutsu and sensei.

It was not until a larger carbon copy of Lee appeared that it began to traumatize the two hiding in the shadows. Naruto and Sakura decided that it was their cue to leave when rainbow genjutsu started appearing behind Gai and Lee as they hugged and cried each others names. However there was one sentence that caught both of their attention as they entered the exam hall.

"Gomenasai, Sasuke-kun, but I am not the strongest Genin in the whole of Konoha. He is most likely in the same team as I am."

X—X—X—X—X

The whole exam room went quite the moment the door opened to allow both Naruto and Sakura to come in. Every pair of eyes and in some cases one single eye resting upon the duo who dared to enter the same room they were all in.

The pair hesitated slightly, feeling all of the eyes scrutinizing every bit of them down to Naruto's whiskers. But moved on not wanting to have everyone's attention focused on them.

They had barely managed to join the Konoha rookies when Sasuke's and Lee's teams entered as well, both teams deciding that they would rather take their chances alone than with the other Konoha teams.

Silence ruled over the Konoha 8 until Kiba spoke, failing to be quiet a second longer.

"Are you girls okay?" he asked, worriedly.

"Yeah. Why?" asked Ino as she looked at Kiba.

"Well, Sasuke is here and none of you girls have even made a move to go after him." he said.

Ino snorted. "We were over him the moment he decided he could sacrifice Sakura to save his pathetic little hide." She said.

"So does that mean you two are both available?" asked Kiba grinning wide.

"Not for you Dog boy!" yelled Ino. "Besides, Sakura's taken." She added with a wink.

Kiba's attention was suddenly on Sakura. "W-What? How? Who?" he stammered.

Sakura blushed but did not reply. Shikamaru immediately guessed who it was. It was the only option really and from the look Sakura had given Naruto the moment Ino had said it, he knew it was serious. He would need to talk to the both of them soon. Both about themselves and also about Hinata, who he was sure had caught on as well.

"Now, now, didn't your mothers never tell you not to attract the wrong kind of attention?" spoke a voice and the entire Konoha group turned around to see a young man with a Konoha headband walk over to them.

"Ah. Where are my manners, my name is Yakushi Kabuto. I am the temporary member of team 7 for this exam." he said as he adjusted his glasses. "I already know all of your names. Including yours too Uzumaki Naruto, known as the most unpredictable ninja in the whole of Konoha, said to have taken on the copy ninja Hatake Kakashi himself and beaten him during a training exercise." He said as a matter of fact.

This last part caught the attention of one brooding Uchiha Sasuke and caused the eyes of many of the Konoha genin's eyes to widen.

"How do you know all of this?" asked Naruto. Was the information from Sandaime-sama? Had he given the guy all the information about him?

"I know because of these cards, Naruto-kun." Spoke Kabuto as he pulled out a pack of cards from his pocket. "Simply charge the card with some of your chakra and it will give you all the information on the ninja you want to find out about. I happen to have all the information about every candidate taking part in this exam. Just give me a name and I will tell you what I know. After all, this knowledge maybe the difference between life and death in these exams."

"How much information do you have on Naruto." Asked Sasuke as he walked up.

Kabuto simply took out a card and charged it with some of his chakra. "Uzumaki Naruto, genin of Konohagakure no Sato, completed 2 A ranks, 0 B and C ranks, 40 D rank missions. Taijutsu is high Chuunin as well as ninjutsu, it has no information about his genjutsu. The teamwork of Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura is said to be something even ANBU are wary of."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as a smirk crept up onto his face. "I know your weakness now Naruto. I'm coming for you." He said before he walked away to join his team.

"Anyone you would like to know about Naruto-kun?" asked Kabuto.

"Rock Lee and Sabaku no Gaara."

"Rock Lee, graduated the year before, skipped the Chuunin exams last year so that his team could gain experience. Has completed no A ranks, B ranks, 3 C ranks and close to 80 D ranks. Taijutsu rating is off the charts, has little ninjutsu or genjutsu." Spoke Kabuto.

He whistled as he picked out another card for Gaara and read it. "Sabaku no Gaara, son of the Yondaime Kazekage, has completed 3 A ranks, 4 B ranks, 7 C ranks and 100 D ranks. Said to have come out of every single mission without a scratch on him."

"Not even a single scratch?" asked Sakura.

"Enough." Cut in Shikamaru before Kabuto could reply. "It's about to start." He said as he stood up from his corner.

Naruto and Sakura also felt the numerous signatures before the examiners appeared in a cloud of smoke.

"QUIET DOWN ALL YOU WORMS!" yelled a scarred man in the middle as he emitted enough killing intent to draw everyone's attention.

"My name is Morino Ibiki and I will be your proctor for the first exam which is a written exam." He said to the disapproval of many. "Each of you has been given an entry number. I would like you all to sit down at the desk with your numbers."

Once everyone had been seated, Ibiki began again,

"This written exam is based into 10 questions total. You each start off with 20 points per person, that is 60 points per team. You will be deducted 2 points for each incorrect answer as well as unanswered question. However, if you answer a question correctly you will be given 2 points. Those caught cheating will also be deducted points. Get caught three times and you and your entire team will be failed on the spot. This goes for teams who have one member scoring no points as well. For your team to advance to the second phase, all of you will need to maintain atleast one point."

There was a roar of disapproval from the examinees as they started to talk amongst themselves about the rules.

"QUIET!" yelled Ibiki. "or I will fail all of you and send you home."

The room immediately silenced itself, none of the candidates wanting to go back to their respective villages without atleast attempting the exam.

"The papers you will get only contains 9 questions. The 10th question will be given out 10 minutes till the end of this written test. The 10th question has rules of its own which will be explained to you before the question is given. So those of you who haven't been failed have to stay until the end till you can go home to your mommies." Said the man with a sick smile.

"Chuunins, you may distribute the papers."

X—X—X—X—X

Naruto was sweating profusely as he patiently waited till the examiner said he could start. It wasn't that he was nervous. He wasn't. Both Sakura and he had this written exam covered. It had been simple enough to decipher the riddle that the nin had posed to them. It was just that Naruto was not quite used to sitting behind a desk for long periods of time. It made him cranky and want to get out and that was why he was sweating. Him standing up or something could mean the failure of his entire team.

The clock finally reached 11 and the bell rang signaling the start of the exam. Both Naruto and Sakura quickly turning over their papers. Naruto browsed through each of the questions while Sakura started attempting each and every question. These questions! Naruto realized. Sakura had been right. There was no way that mere genin would be able to answer such questions. This was a test to see how well they could cheat.

Why else would they deduct points each time you got caught? Sakura's words came back to him. It doesn't make sense if you get failed on your third time caught cheating. Not unless they expect you to cheat. This indeed was a test of information gathering. A test concocted to see which genin were able to gather the information required without betraying themselves or their team mates. Luckily Sakura had come up with a plan.

He felt one of his shadow clones dispel as Sakura killed an ant on her body, the memories and particularly the answer to the first question rushing into his mind. The 10 clones he had henged into ants and put on her body would make sure he had the proper answers to each of the questions. He grinned to himself. It helped to have a girlfriend who was really smart he thought.

Naruto hurriedly wrote down the answer before he forgot it. It would not do for them to fail because he had forgotten to write down the answers to the questions exactly as Sakura had written then.

Naruto decided he would use the time between the dispelling of the clones to observe his competition which included his fellow genin from Konoha as well as the Suna trio.

The first one he saw was Hinata, who was sitting right next to him. The veins near her eyes standing out as she used her family Doujutsu the Byakugan to see through solid objects and into the paper of the person in front of her. He knew that it was the same thing that the Hyuuga on Gai's team as well as Hisemi would do as they were from the same family. It was only then that he noticed that the number of people in the hall was odd. There were two genin extra and he had never heard of a two man squad being allowed to take the exam.

He realized then and there that these two extra genin were in fact not genin at all, but two Chuunin sent into the written exam in order for the genin to copy off of. It wouldn't make sense if there was no one or nothing they could gather the information from.

Another buzz in his head alerted him to another clone dispelling and he wrote down the answer he was fed from the clone. This did not pass the unwavering gaze of Hyuuga Hinata, who glanced at Naruto. In one way, she felt happy for him. He was finally receiving the love that he had wanted so bad from Sakura, yet Hinata could not help but worry if the love Sakura was giving was genuine. Not to mention that this also got in the way of accomplishing her dream of having a family with Naruto. Hinata pushed the thought into the back of her mind. There were much more important matters at hand. She would deal with Sakura when they met in the tournament and it would be there that she won the heart of Naruto as well as destroying what Naruto and Sakura had between them.

The next person Naruto set his eyes on was the Uchiha himself, obviously using the Sharingan to copy every single move the Chuunin near him made. Kiba had Akamaru on top of his head, softly barking the answers to his master. Shino had his destruction bugs who spelt out the answers for him on the table. Ino had the Shintenshin no Jutsu. Shikamaru was genius enough to know the answers and Choji would have no trouble due to Shikamaru using the Kagemane on him. Tenten, the weapons mistress, used the mirrors she had hung on the ceilings to reflect the answers to her and Lee. However the only Konoha genin he did not manage to observe was Heni. He just simply was no where to be seen.

The suna trio was a different story. Naruto saw the sand eye that Gaara made to copy off of Sasuke's paper. Once he had the answers, he then would spell them out for Temari on her table, still using his sand. One thing he had gained for sure was the knowledge that Gaara was in fact a sand user. How deadly and how good, he wouldn't find out during this test. The remaining Suna member was a different story. He had gone to the toilet with an observer, one that Naruto had found odd and thought extra, but had waved him off. The only thing that had given Kankuro away had been the smirk he had worn upon returning from the toilet.

A puppet, I see. Though Naruto and Ibiki at the same time. Looks like we have a medium to long range squad from Suna, decided Naruto as he wrote down the answer to the 8th answer from Sakura. The next clone to be dispelled, did not actually dispel but rather died of blood loss. It wasn't until the memories returned to Naruto that he realized what had caused it to die. It had simply gotten a pretty good look at Sakura's bra covered chest under the vest she wore. Luckily for him, he managed to hold the blood from exploding from his nose and embarrassing himself.

The sound of the bell ringing again caused him to look up and noticed that it was time for the last question. It was also at that time that Sakura dispelled the last clone on her body. Naruto barely finished writing down the answer before Ibiki spoke.

"Alright you maggots! Pens down! Time for your 10th question! But first the rules." The big man paused for a while to make sure every one of the candidates in the room was paying attention to him.

"If you take this question and fail to answer it, you and your team will be failed and never allowed to take this exam again."

"What kind of a rule is that!?" came a voice and a few yells of yeah came after it.

"There are many a ninja in this room who is taking the exam for more than 5 times!" shouted another.

Ibiki's laughter echoed out through the room, sending a chill down everyone's spine. "I guess it is your luck that put me as proctor of this exam. It is my rules that count for this phase. If you will, I will allow you to withdraw from this question, but in doing so you will fail your team though you may take the next one. It is your choice. Those who wish to leave may leave now."

There was a steady flow of genins walking out of the exam room and soon, Naruto could only count 12 teams including the 5 from Konoha and the Suna team. He knew that it was enough motive for the Konoha teams to stay if one stayed. If they chickened out now, they would never hear the end of it.

"Those who are staying, I take it that you want to take the question?" asked Ibiki. Each of the shinobi present nodded their heads and ibiki smiled. "Congratulations, you all pass the first phase of this exam."

The words that Ibiki spoke sent a wave of relief washing over the Konoha nin, Kiba yelling as he bounded up and down with joy.

"Silence. Those who remain should know that they will face much more perilous tasks in the future should they be or not be promoted at the end. A shinobi cannot back down from a mission that may risk everything he has worked for, for the success of that mission may cause everyone in the village to gain from it more than they had to lose. I wish you all the best in the exams to come."

Ibiki had just finished his little speech when something came through the window, narrowly missed his head and embedded itself into the wall. Ibiki put his head in his hand and shook his head as a figure crashed through the remaining window, rolling to her feet before the wire behind her unfurling to reveal a banner with the words. SEXY PROCTOR OF THE SECOND PHASE: MITARASHI ANKO.

"Just Fourteen teams." Mused Anko as she counted the number of heads in the room. "Seems you haven't lost your touch after all. No worries. I'll cut the number in half by the time I'm done with them as well."

"Alright you little Maggots! Time for the second phase of your exam! Meet me at the Forest of Death in an hour."

The Konoha group stood up together, Sasuke's and Gai's team going their own separate ways as they all left the Academy.

"What do you say we all go for Dango together?" asked Kabuto as they walked along. "One hour isn't much time to go home and cook. It's on me."

Everyone in the group agreed except for one Akimichi Choji who claimed he had to go home.

"Boy. Isn't this a day for surprises." Exclaimed Kiba as he and Shino set into pace next to Kabuto who led the way. The girls followed close behind, gossiping about things.

Naruto was about to go and join Sakura when Shikamaru pulled him back.

"What is it Shika?" asked Naruto as the two were left trailing the group. The two set a pace so that they were an equal space behind the group.

"You have to tell her, Naruto." Said the Nara.

"Tell her what?" asked Naruto confused.

"About him." said Shikamaru, gesturing at Naruto's stomach.

The blonde was taken aback at the statement.

"How did I know? It wasn't that hard. You have the same birthday as the day the Kyuubi died. Only that a being made of Chakra cannot die and there is no way that a being the strength of the Kyuubi could have been sealed in an object. It would be too much of a risk. The villagers hate you. They call you all sorts of vile things, the foremost being Demon. You have never been sick and not even once have you stayed in the hospital for more than one day with an injury, not quite unlike a bijuu's healing abilities. Plus you have a huge chakra supply, Ino tells me Sakura marvels about it everyday. And you have those tell tale whisker marks." Explained Shikamaru.

"Why do I need to tell her?" asked Naruto confused.

"I'd rather she find out from you than from someone else. If she leaves because of it, I'd rather she leave you now than later when your life depends on her. I'd rather she leave you now because there is someone else who loves you."

"Hinata." Said Naruto and Shikamaru nodded.

"So you did notice her."

It was Naruto's turn to nod. "There is no way that I can be with Hinata even if Sakura were to leave me. Her clan would not allow it."

"I know. But it will not stop Hinata from fighting Sakura for you. Sakura will need every reason to fight for you if she wants to win that battle. What better reason than you."

"Why did you tell me this?" asked Naruto.

"You are as much a demon as I am. The fact that you jail one does not mean you are one. I just do not wish to see you in any further pain. Be happy, Naruto. One of us. For that, you need to tell her." Said the Nara as he increased his pace in order to catch up with the group.

X—X—X—X—X

It took the group exactly 45 minutes to finish their lunch, just leaving enough time for them to get to the Forest of Death. Naruto wished they had gotten more time, he had been thinking about what the Nara had said to him earlier and realized he had been right. Sakura was his love. If he truly wanted a shot at life with her, then he needed to tell her, because as long as she did not know what he contained then he could not truly say that she had been with him.

He had been hoping that he could tell her sometime before the exam. Allow the news to sink in before they attempted anything as a team. Naruto knew how much their team work would matter that day since there were only 12 teams now. The competition was getting fierce and they would need every bit of trust they had in each other to survive. All Naruto could do for now was hope that he did not have to explain it to her in the middle of the second phase.

With a troubled and Heavy sigh, Naruto joined his friends as they walked up to where their proctor sat. Somehow, for some reason, Naruto could swear that this would be a very long second phase.

X—X—X—X—X

**:O where did Kabuto come from? :O**

**REVIEW!**


	13. Chapter 13: Second Phase, Part One

OMG!! :P

Yellow Flash: no. :P

Animaman: no, she wont and no, I will let you guys suffer for a while longer :P

Cerridwen-Maiden : maybe, maybe not XD

Awesome Eyes: you have your age working for you, and yes I have gone through your profile :P

With practice and a free imagination, you have the universe in your hands.

I'd like to start off with a major apology…. I seem to have miscalculated the number of teams that need to pass to have the prelim fights…. Its actually 7… so…. For those who have read chapter 12… im correcting it so it also says 14 teams passed…

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 13 : Second Phase Part 1

Mitarashi Anko looked down upon the candidates as if she was a child controlling a large number of miniature toy soldiers. She looked upon them with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. As if she were wondering which teams she would pit against which.

Little did the teams know of the power she had in her hands during this phase. It was true that Ibiki had also had a lot of power during his phase and the head of the Konoha's interrogation unit had used it to its full extent. Out of the hundred teams that had begun the exam he had cut the number down to a measly 12. Yet, this power that Ibiki had flaunted was nothing compared to the power that Anko had during this phase.

Anko had power over the lives and deaths of the candidates taking part in this phase. Even though she could not decide who would live, who would die nor who would get injured or how much, she did have the power to lessen their chances of survival. She could make it so that she pitted the deadly suna trio against the famed last Uchiha. She could also make it so that the temporary three man team of team 7 went up against one of their fellow Konoha teams. She had all the information that she needed for this, down to the strengths and weaknesses of each separate candidate. With this information and the power she could do all this and make it look like chance as if she had no hand in it at all.

To top it all off, she had a reputation to maintain, the reputation of being the most dangerous and sadistic Kunoichi in the whole of Konoha. And there was nothing she would not do to maintain it. A dangerous leer adorned her face as the last of the teams arrived at the gate to the legendary Forest of Death. It was finally time to put her plan into motion. A plan that would give the candidates on of their toughest exams in life and one that would give her unlimited entertainment as she watched over the teams.

Anko shunshined on to the top of a large boulder, raising her hand to signal for silence. The silence that would soon break into the explanation of the exam before it was destroyed by the screams of death and agony.

X—X—X—X—X

"First of all, I would like to congratulate all of you for making it this far. Not many have come past Ibiki's 10th question and I applaud you on your bravery. Those who are not brave, do not deserve to be here today."

Somewhere within the Konoha pack, Hyuuga Hinata cowered a little. The only reason that she had stayed was because Sakura had stayed. She would not give up on Naruto so easily. She would at least test this so called love the Haruno had for him.

"However, only half of the teams remaining here shall make it into the final tournament or even less. I will make sure of that."

Anko picked up two different scrolls and showed it to the genin. "In my hands are two scrolls, the Earth scroll and the Heaven scroll. Each team will begin with one scroll to begin with. Half of you will receive the Earth scroll while the remaining half shall get the Heaven scroll. Your objective is to complete a pair of these scrolls. Once you have both types, head to the tower in the middle of the forest to finish this phase. Each and every one of you is fair game until you enter that tower, even those of you with the complete set."

There was a pause as Anko eyed every one of the genin. "There is only one rule in this phase. You must have all three members of your team alive in order to complete it. You have 5 days to reach the tower. Those who do not show up by then, fail. Now, I want all of you to come into this tent, team by team, to fill out these forms before you take the scroll I will give you."

"Forms? What forms? I thought we filled in all we needed to fill in our applications!" yelled out a Kusa nin.

The grin that formed on Anko's face once the question was put forward was something that the Kunoichi taking the exam never thought would be possible on a senior kunoichi's face.

"Why, they are your liability forms, saying that neither I nor the Shinobi forces taking part in this phase of the exams will be held responsible for any of your deaths during this phase of the exam." she said as she maintained the sadistic, blood hungry grin in front of them.

"Deaths?" whispered Ino, slightly taken aback at the extremes this exam was going to.

"Yes, how do you expect your opponents to give you the scroll without a fight? And if there is a fight there is a chance that someone might die. Not all of you are good enough to be able to take a scroll forcefully without using lethal force. And I know for a fact that there are some blood thirsty ones in you lot as well." Said the Tokubetsu Jounin, the way she spoke driving pins into the blond girl's brain. Ino felt her body go numb from the shock at the realization of what they would have to do or face. She had known that she would have to kill being a shinobi, yet she had not expected to have to do it so early into her career. The mere thought of killing or being killed made her blood run cold.

Naruto noticed that Anko's eyes fell on two particular Nin as she said the last sentence. One of them being Sabaku no Gaara and the second, some weird looking Kusa nin. Naruto was still busy studying this Nin when a kunai zipped past him, cutting his cheek very shallowly, Anko by his side a millisecond later. It was not the kunai that shocked him but rather the speed with which the Tokubetsu Jounin moved that caused him to freeze on the spot.

"Find something so interesting that you decided not to pay attention to me? Huh, Blondie-kun?" spoke Anko as she licked away the trickle of blood that ran down his cheek, a shiver running down his spine at the touch of her tongue. The thought of some carrion bird pecking away at his flesh as his body rotted away somewhere deep in the forest flashed through his mind. "One more distraction like that and it could cost you your life. Do not think that just because you beat an ANBU during a spar means you can beat every single Jounin you encounter. Who knows, maybe the ANBU never took you seriously." She said. Naruto's eyes widened. How had Anko known of the test carried on him? How much did she know about him?

"You seem to have dropped this, proctor." Said the Kusa-nin as she handed the kunai to Anko who sheepishly scratched the back of her head before she took it.

"Alright, if there is nothing else, please fill in the forms and take your scrolls before reporting to your designated starting gates. The second phase begins in 10 minutes. Oh and one more thing. Do not open those scrolls outside the tower." She added with a sweet smile that somehow almost all the candidates knew promised a painful death.

Naruto was the first one to enter the tent, not overly surprised to see Anko herself giving out the scrolls. The blond boy spoke no words, instead just merely handed her the forms signed by the team in exchange for their Earth scroll and their gate number. Naruto decided to take a moment longer to seal the scroll in another scroll of his. It would ensure that no one, not even a Hyuuga, would be able to find out what scroll they had or where they had it. It would reduce the chances of it being taken by force or by theft.

It was during this short moment that he found the small slip of paper in his jumpsuit pocket. Curious as ever, the boy opened the slip and read what was written on the inside of it.

_Watch the Uchiha and where you step, whether it be in or out. There are much greater powers at work than you._

Naruto pondered upon the writing for a while before he turned and nodded to Anko on his way out. It was clear what that slip was. A warning for the exam, a warning that made it clear to him that not even she could interfere in what was happening. The only questions were who was this greater power? And whose side was it on?

Naruto walked over to his team and handed Sakura the piece of paper with their gate number. It seemed as though each of the Konoha teams

The trio setting off towards their gate without much ado. The short trip was made in silence but it would have been a lie to say there were no words exchanged between them. Whatever was said was said between Naruto and Sakura, using the variation of ANBU sign language they had modified on their own. It was their own foolproof way of communicating with each other without others finding out.

_How do we know if we can trust that piece of paper? _Signaled Sakura, the hand signs so small that they were just barely twitches of their fingers.

_There was only one chance for it to have been put in my pocket. _Replied Naruto.

Sakura thought back to the happenings during the explanation. _When she licked the blood off of your cheek? _She asked, barely able to contain the jealousy within her.

_Yes. Is someone jealous? _He asked as an afterthought a wry smile adorning his face as he signed.

_She licked you! _Signed Sakura.

_Just once. You can lick me as often as you want. _Signed back the blond, the last comment eliciting a deep blush on his partners face.

Sakura smirked as they reached the gate quickly signing what she was sure to be the last rebuttal of the topic. _Fine, just don't complain if I lick you too much._

The pink haired girl had to stifle a laugh as the blonde boy blushed and clamped his hand down on his nose to stop an obvious nosebleed. Little would Naruto know how hard it had been for her to stop her own nosebleed, but what he didn't know he could not use against her

"Anyone have any plans for this particular test?" asked Kabuto as he looked at the two genin. Sakura simply shook her head after which Kabuto put forward his opinion.

"I say we head for the tower and wait for the teams there." Said the elder genin. "Ambush them as they come by."

"No." spoke Naruto. "It is the same plan the weaker teams will use. Our strength would be the number of Konoha teams in this phase itself. If we break through and join up with them it would ensure that we wouldn't get ambushed. At the very least we would have the advantage of numbers working for us. Of course this means that acquiring the Heaven scroll would be the first step in the plan."

A smile spread upon Sakura's face as she came to the realization of the truth in Naruto's plans. Not only had he thought of something that would work to their advantage, the Konoha 8 being close to each other but it would also let them keep an eye on Sasuke without being deemed suspicious.

"So that means you have an Earth scroll with you?" Asked Kabuto,

The blonde boy nodded. "I cannot tell you where I have hidden it. It is not that I don't trust you with the knowledge, it is simply because you cannot tell anyone what you do not know and the last thing I want is to lose our scroll to a thief."

Kabuto nodded as if he understood, though Sakura kept her composure. Something felt fishy about the elder genin, something almost otherworldly, especially after the small slip that they had gotten from the Hokage. It had been the main reason that they had decided not to let Kabuto in on their mission. Their mission had simply been handed to Team 7, no information that even suggested that there was a third member involved in it and as such they both assumed it was just the both of them. To them, all Kabuto was a man sent to fill the position of their third member for the duration of their exams and that was exactly how they would be treated like. Besides, he knew too much about Naruto than was comfortable and there was no telling what sort of information he had on Sakura.

Deciding to break the silence as well as play along with Naruto to hide the true objective of the plan, Sakura decided to pose a question.

"How do we know who has the Heaven scroll that we need?"

"Well, to be honest, I have no idea. So far the plan is to beat up every team we come across so that we can search them." Replied Naruto as he grinned sheepishly.

Sakura sighed and shook her head. Naruto would always be Naruto even though he had matured and wizened. There would still be times where he would rush into things without an extra thought or even come up with knuckle headed ideas. But she had to admit, there was really no other way of finding out. Neither she nor Naruto had any special abilities that would gain them that information and even if Kabuto did, he was not volunteering it for use.

"So, that's the plan?" asked Sakura as no one else had spoken for the short while after Naruto had admitted to his incomplete plan. "Just rush in, beat them up, search them, take their scroll and rush to join the other Konoha teams?"

"Yup. That's about it." said Naruto. "We can always modify the plan while in use. I don't think we really have time to formulate another one." He said, pointing at the gates that were opening rather slowly.

"Naruto-kun is right." Spoke Kabuto as he stepped alongside the blond Shinobi. "We need to start engaging other teams as soon as possible, hopefully before they settle down into the environment. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to beat them."

Sakura looked at Naruto and nodded, the three of them running into the forest without a further word. It was time to get serious. The second phase of the exam had finally begun.

X—X—X—X—X

4 hours into the exam

The world went past in a blur or colors as Sakura blazed through the forest canopy. The plan had been to split up, locate a team and contact the other two thirds of the team. Naruto had been adamant not to confront a team alone. It was foolish, even Sakura knew that. However, his warnings had not planned for this to happen. He had not planned for either of them to get caught.

As it were, Sakura was running as fast as she could from the crazy Kusa nin that they had met earlier. The worse part was that she was catching up and fast! Sakura poured chakra into her feet, looking to boost her speed forgetting to release her seals in panic. She had to get away from the Kusa Nin, for the team, the mission, for Naruto. She had to get away.

Sakura formed some handseals as she ran, letting two to three genjutsu fall into place behind her, the chakra used for the technique seeping out of her body. Her thoughts drifted to one prank master of Konoha and his many exploits that he had bragged to her about during their breaks from training. All of which Sakura had considered dates as there was no one else but the both of them. What her thoughts drifted to was not the actual pranks themselves, but rather the evasion techniques he had used to get away from the angry civilians, shinobi or even ANBU at times.

Sakura smiled as she hid behind a tree, forming handseals as she leaned on it. She felt the genjutsu she had used dispel and knew that who she faced was no ordinary genin. After all, it would take a much stronger and a much colder genin to so easily kill two of her team mates, much less melt their faces off. There was one last ploy she wanted to try. Something she had picked up from the boyfriend of hers. Something she hoped she could pull off as well as he had. And if that didn't work, well, there was always the chakra flare. And then she'd have to hope she could stay alive till help came.

Sakura felt the last of her genjutsus dispel and let a new genjutsu fall over her. This one only around the small area that covered her whole body. A genjutsu that she had developed, that would allow her to blend into the background as such as a chameleon would. She made a mental note to herself that should she ever survive this phase, that this technique would be worth naming.

X—X—X—X—X

Orochimaru landed on a branch of a tree and looked around for the pink haired girl that had kept running from him. The triple layered genjutsu she had laid not more than a moment ago had thrown him off guard and now, he had lost her chakra signature. It had simply just disappeared.

The snake sannin cursed himself as he scanned the area once over. He had been careless while taking out the Kusa team. Even though their teamwork had been very good and though it required his full concentration just to keep tabs on them both, him being a sannin, he should have noticed the pink haired girl as she watched the duels take place.

No. It wasn't the fact that she had seen him take them out that was the problem. After all she was just a mere genin, not experienced enough to know who he was just by watching one fight of his. One that he had not shown his true powers in. No. It was the simple fact that she had slipped in and taken the Heaven scroll his first victim had dropped that had angered him. Even though he did not plan to move on to the tournament, the scroll was vital as bait to make Sasuke fight him.

It angered him even more that he had to watch the amount of chakra he emitted, there were two bijuu taking part in this very phase and a sudden spike of chakra or too much chakra being used might bring the Hokage and his ANBU down upon him, thinking one of the legendary tailed beasts had broken free. He wasn't ready to face the Hokage yet. Not without the rest of his plans in full motion. It would be all of them combined that would have the desired effect on the now fragile village of Konoha.

A sudden movement from below him grabbed the snake sannin's attention, the flash of pink eliciting him into motion. He had her now and there was no way he was letting her go now. The sannin shunshined after the girl, appearing just a few paces behind her, voicing out his jutsu as he spread his hand out towards the girl.

"Senei Jashu." said the man as a couple of snakes sped out of his sleeves, wrapping around the genin and immobilizing her.

"Ku ku ku ku ku." Came the snake sannin's laughter as the snakes pulled her closer to him. "You think a little girl like you can escape one of the sannin? You do know who we are right?" he asked as he turned her around so that she could look into his yellow, slitted eyes. His long tongue licking his lips as he smelled the fear emanating off the girl.

"Now, why don't you give me the scroll and I'll make your death painless." He said, the words slithering off of his tongue, the intent clear from his eyes.

It wasn't until the girl smiled that he began to suspect something wrong with the body he was holding. The chakra he felt from this body simply did not even come close to the chakra he had felt while he had chased her. It could only mean one thing. He had been tricked.

The sannin smiled as the clone vanished in a puff of smoke. A Kagebunshin eh? He thought with a smirk. It seemed that Konoha had more potential than he had ever thought possible once he had left the village. It is time for your test, Sasuke-kun. Thought Orochimaru as he jumped away into the trees. There was no point in going after the girl now, it would simply be a waste of time.

The sannin had one final thought before he vanished into the trees. Lets hope you can entertain me more than your comrade has.

X—X—X—X—X

Naruto was about to go in search of Sakura when his pink haired girlfriend came out the bushes. Though there were no visible external injuries, Sakura looked the worse for wear immediately falling onto her knees as she reached her team mates.

"What happened?" said Naruto as he rushed over, the worry obvious on his face as he neared his girlfriend.

"I'll tell you later." She said as she popped a soldier pill in her mouth. "for now we need to meet up with the other teams." She said before she stood up and handed Naruto a Heaven scroll. "Whoever I stole that from will not be happy."

Naruto nodded as he sealed the Heaven scroll into his Kunai holster, making sure that the Heaven scroll was not sealed anywhere near the Earth scroll. With only 12 teams taking part in these exams, it would be a major blow for them if they were to lose both their scrolls. The limits they would have to go to and the measures they would need to take in that situation would be extreme indeed as the scrolls were sure to be in the possession of the stronger teams as the exam went on.

The trio of Team 7 launched themselves into the trees, headed towards the center of the forest and the tower that would be their next destination. However, they did not choose to go straight towards it, instead choosing a spiral path towards the center, so that they could round up and aid the other Konoha teams if need be. This survival exam would be one in which their numbers would count for a lot.

X—X—X—X—X

Meanwhile, Team 11 had had a frustrating day of exams, starting with the written test. Sure, Sasuke and Hisemi had had an easy time copying the answers off of someone else's paper with their Doujutsus, but Heni had no such handy trick that he could use to pass and it meant that both Sasuke and Hisemi had had to help him. Sasuke was of course not happy with the fact that Heni was holding him back and it had gotten worse with the beginning of the second phase.

Even though it had not been more than 6 hours since the second phase had begun, Heni felt that they were way behind their competition. It had taken them the better of two hours just to agree upon a plan, Hisemi and Sasuke disagreeing with each other. Sasuke had wanted them to charge the first team they saw and beat them senseless before taking their scroll. Hisemi had disagreed, he had felt it was wiser to rush towards the tower and then lay in wait for a team that had the scroll they wanted.

The argument had gone on and on, each of them trying to prove to the other that it was their plan that was the best. While Sasuke had been right about his plan being the quickest, it was also the quickest way to being knocked out of the exam. Even though Hisemi and Heni were the best from their age group in Konoha did not mean that they would come out top against the top genin from other villages. And that was including the fact that Sasuke had his Sharingan activated. Hisemi's plan was safer but it was also risky. They could only trap a certain area around the tower, not the whole area surrounding it and that would leave the possibility of all the other teams slipping through. Since there were only 12 teams, it was even likelier. Besides, they had already wasted a lot of time they could have used to travel, arguing and it was very likely know that it would be them that ran into a trap set up by another team.

It wasn't until Heni had suggested that they use both that the argument had stopped and they had finally left the spot they had stayed to argue in. Now, finally, team 11 was moving, Hisemi's byakugan activated so that no one could sneak up on them. It also gave them the advantage of knowing if they had spotted a team with the Earth scroll they needed and if they were to spot such a team, all three had agreed that they would rush in.

Hisemi stopped up front, causing the other two to stop behind him.

"One ninja, 100 meters, heading straight towards us, doesn't have a scroll. Looks like a Kusa nin."

"What do you think Sasuke?" Asked Heni. "Take him out? He is heading straight for us." He added as a matter of fact.

"He's forming handseals!" managed to yell Hisemi before a huge gust of wind blew into the three Konoha nin, the warning coming too late to prevent themselves from being blown away. Heni managed to cling on to a branch but watched helplessly as Sasuke slammed into a tree trunk while Hisemi was blown out of sight.

"Ku ku ku ku ku." Came a sinister laughter, causing Heni's attention to be drawn to where they had been standing a moment ago.

The young boy's eyes fell upon a woman with the Kusa headband, the very same one that Hisemi had warned them about. Even though it was really his first time observing an adult Kunoichi, something seemed off to him. Something about the way the woman stood just didn't fit with a female's body at all.

Movement to his right alerted Heni of Sasuke's rousal from the impact with the tree. The Uchiha greeting the lone Kusa nin with a Sharingan enhanced glare.

"Oh my, What hateful eyes Sasuke-kun." Spoke the woman. "It seems as though you have managed to awaken your Sharingan. Impressive."

This last word caused the Uchiha to smile, the arrogance and pride oozing off of him. "Scared?" he asked.

The Kusa nin shook her head, waving her hand as if she were dismissing the fact. "Not at all, Sasuke-kun. It looks far under developed than your brother's was at your age."

Sasuke's chakra spiked immediately, the boy losing control over his chakra as a haze of red fell over his eyes. The raven haired boy charged the Kusa nin with a scream of "How do you know my brother!?" before Heni could do anything to stop him. The younger boy watched as the last member of the elite Uchiha clan of Konoha rushed the Kusa nin with simple yet totally disorganized punches and kicks. Something had pissed Sasuke off. Something that had affected him so bad that now he had tunnel vision, his mind set on one thing only, to kill the Kusa nin.

Orochimaru looked at Sasuke as he charged towards the sannin. Anger was such a marvelous thing. Even though it was intangible it was one of the most valuable tools a Shinobi could use against his opponent. The Uchiha charging him at this very moment was a prime example of how it could be used to coerce an opponent into attacking you.

Sasuke threw a few kunai as he neared the kusa nin, causing the woman to jump back slightly. The youngest Uchiha used this and shunshined himself behind the Kusa nin, launching a volley of kicks and punches that somehow the woman managed to block or evade.

"Why? What's the matter Sasuke-kun? Your Sharingan can't predict my movements?" The woman asked with a sneer, causing the now enraged Uchiha to charge with his fist cocked back. The Kusa nin simply jumped backwards to evade the coming punch, the smile still on her face. "That's it Sasuke-kun. Hate, Anger. These are the paths to greater power. Use it!" egged on the Kusa nin as she dodged and evaded every single attack of Sasuke's.

Heni closed in, looking for that opportune moment when the Kusa nin would have her eyes fully on Sasuke, hoping to end this battle quick. Sasuke had no strategies when he was angry. It hadn't taken Heni and Hisemi that long to figure it out and it wasn't that difficult to get Sasuke angry either. Worse, Sasuke would not care for any collateral damage that he caused on his rampages and that could cost them the exam if Heni decided to run in and help him.

This Kusa nin had no openings, Heni realized. He had no flaws in his taijutsu nor his blocking and evasion methods. No flaws that a genin of his quality could find or use and it seemed to him as if the Grass Genin was simply toying with Sasuke. It was as if this particular Kusa nin was on a totally different level.

"Answer me!" yelled the Uchiha as he jumped away from his opponent, forming handseals before yelling. "Katon, Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" The grand fireball so powerful that it literally incinerated the branch that the Kusa nin had been standing on.

Orochimaru flipped away from the fireball, forming hand seals as he sailed through the air, the same serpent like smile upon his face. It seemed as if this years Konoha genin were an interesting batch. One, a Kunoichi at that had managed to lead him on a merry chase an hour into the forest and had escaped with his scroll, albeit he was using at most a quarter of his abilities. She wouldn't have been a problem had he been able to use his full ability.

Now, here was another, with an activated Sharingan, using jutsu that no one of his age should be capable of. The snake sannin replaced himself with the mud clone before he landed and watched as it was defeated from the shadows.

A dark haired boy stepped out, the veins near his eyes bulging, the sign of a very active Byakugan. Another interesting genin, thought Orochimaru, a Hyuuga, that had the Byakugan but not their trademark lavender eyes. This one had hazel eyes instead. The new Otokage filed this information as something he would need to look into further at a later time. For now, he had more pressing matters to attend to, like giving Sasuke the cursed seal.

Heni meanwhile had begun to think the moment the clone had turned into mud. Tsuchi bunshin, as he knew from the Konoha library, was a B ranked jutsu due to the large amount of chakra that was required to form it as well as the fact that it was roughly the half of the strength as its user. The fact that the Kusa nin was able to use such a jutsu which was added to the speed of the formation as well as the quick Kawarimi that would have been needed to fool Hisemi's eyes clearly stated that who ever they were facing was no mere genin. Heni would have continued his train of though had it not been for the fact that they all heard the sound of clapping from within the trees.

"Ku ku ku ku." Came a laughter as the trio turned around to look at the Kusa nin or what atleast had been the Kusa nin. "Very good Sasuke-kun." Said the man as he stepped forward into the light. "I would have been killed outright had I been a little bit slower."

It wasn't until the light shone down on his face that team 11 saw what had happened. The Kusa nins face had slightly melted off, one eye gone. Yet, it was not the melted skin that shocked the trio. It was what was beneath the melted skin that made their breath catch in their throats. Beneath the melted off eye, was another eye, one that they had never seen before, one with a yellow and slitted pupil that shone with deadly and murderous intent.

"Ninpou: Kanashibari no Jutsu." Were the only words the man spoke before the trio were frozen to the spot, the fear overwhelming and overriding their nervous systems. Heni watched as Hisemi collapsed, liquid seeping down his legs as he passed out. He understood perfectly. The both of them were a year younger, neither of them as mentally prepared for the life of a ninja as the batch that had graduated. They hadn't even taken the exam to be placed into a cell, they just were given the position and it was taking everything Heni had not to faint himself. He couldn't, he wouldn't. It was clear that who ever was attacking them was attacking Sasuke personally and with both Heni and Hisemi out cold, no one would be able to back Sasuke.

"Ku ku ku ku." Came the very same laughter that they had heard before. "Pathetic. What kind of weaklings do you have on your team, eh, Sasuke-kun?" questioned the man as he took a step forward, ripping the rest of the melted face off to reveal a pale face, a face of a man.

"He soils himself and faints the moment I use my ki. That is what your village and your Hokage is training you to be Sasuke-kun. Mere kittens with no power at all! Ku ku ku ku. Power stems from hate and anger. These emotions fuel the drive needed for that power, Sasuke-kun! He has no hate! No anger! No power or strength within him!"

"And you know what power is?" stuttered out the Uchiha. Even though it was meant as a retort, there was neither the conviction nor the sarcasm in the words, the genin trying his hardest to remain upright.

"By the end of this Chuunin Exam, you will have seen what true power is. You will see your pathetic little village crushed under my might." Said Orochimaru, happy that his taunts were working.

"How do I gain that power?" growled Sasuke as he struggled to move his body. The boy would have strangled the man if he could. He needed the answer to that question. If only to avenge his family.

Orochimaru smiled. He had the boy where he wanted. All that was left was to give Sasuke the cursed seal and hope that the Uchiha survived it. If all went well, he would have the Sharingan eyes by next year and then, his road to immortality would begin.

The sannin wasted no more time, forming handseals before elongating his neck and biting Sasuke on the shoulder. The characters of the seal dripping from his snake like fangs and into the skin of the boy where it formed into the exact same seal Anko had on he

"I will send for you once the exams are over, Sasuke-kun. You have until then to decide if you want to obtain the power that I have."

The man was gone before Sasuke could manage a further word. The Kanashibari effect cancelling as the distance between caster and jutsu increased. Heni watched Sasuke collapse, exhausted from all his chakra and shook his head. They would be going nowhere until both Hisemi and Sasuke had woken up. And that meant that it would be up to Heni to defend them and the scroll until such a thing happened.

X—X—X—X—X

Meanwhile, far away from Heni and team 11, Naruto and his team sat across Team Kurenai as they talked. Naruto had found the trio from Team Kurenai hidden under a bush too scared to move an inch either way. They had almost died from fright as his appearance and he was curious as to why they were so scared.

"So, you say you saw the Suna team?" Asked Kabuto once again.

Team Kurenai nodded. Well, at least Kiba and Hinata did. Sakura couldn't help but notice that Hinata's eyes kept drifting towards Naruto. It was only then that she remembered their days at the academy, when Sakura had had a crush on Sasuke and Hinata on Naruto. It made her wonder as to if Hinata still felt for her boyfriend that way. It was in this thought that the pink haired girl missed the single harsh glare the Hyuuga had sent her way.

"Crushed?" asked Sakura as she snapped out of her slight detour of thought.

The event replayed in Kiba's mind, from the moment they had arrived at the battle scene to the moment the grass was covered with drops of blood.

It had seemed like an even match. A match that seemed to favor the team from the hidden village of rain, Amegakure rather than the Suna team due to the experience the Ame nins were sure to have. The fight had started in open ground with a face off, no one from either team hiding. Yet the moment the jutsus had started flying, it had been clear who had the upper edge.

The rain nin only managed one jutsu each, the Senbon Ame no Jutsu, before they were literally squashed. The suna trio safe behind the redhead's sand shield. The funny thing was that the sand acted on its own, with no commands from the boy with the gourd, almost as if it were possessed. The rest of the fight was short and bloody. The redheaded suna nin guiding his sand with his hands as he trapped them in his Sabaku Kyuu before crushing them to pulp with his Sabaku Sousou.

Kiba could still remember the blood from the bodies falling to the ground as the suna nin had promised. A rain of blood.

The two teams did not linger in the area for much longer, fearing for what else might come their way. Luckily for team 7, Team Kurenai had a complete set of scrolls themselves and that meant that they could head towards the tower immediately.

Sakura signed to Naruto as they ran. _I am alright. We do not need to hurry to the tower. Think of the mission. _She urged.

_You just need a good night's rest. _He signed back. _But the other team is badly shaken up. We need to make sure they make it to the tower. _

_What about the mission? _Asked Sakura as she jumped on to the next branch.

_We come back for that after we take them there. _Said Naruto.

_You think Kabuto will let us? _Asked Sakura and Naruto winced.

He had not thought about Kabuto at all when he had come up with this plan. Now that they had the scroll, it was very possible that Kabuto would become curious as to why they were going back into the forest when they were at the towers doorsteps. They could not afford to lose Kabuto's co-operation. It was vital to their moving on to the next phase. Naruto didn't bother signing back to Sakura as they jumped from tree to tree. There was only one thing they could do. Head for the tower and hope that they met the other teams on their way.

X—X—X—X—X

Mah, I know I know…. But u have to understand… there is something called writers block… so pleeeeez…. Im sorry :P

Anyways…. I've come up with a few more storylines… for other Naruto fics… but I do not think I will be starting any until this is done with… but… you never know…

Anyways… Im late coz I actually planned to deliver this in one chapter… but im already into 10000 words and as such… I think I will divide it into two….

And as always

REVIEW!!!!

please


	14. Chapter 14: Second Phase, Part Two

Jerrac: Thanks, hehe, even I have flaws you know.

Awesome Eyes: *blush* im not so great you know…

Animaman: Yes it is going to be mainly NaruSaku… and no I have no plans to add more… at least not to this fic.

Lady Katanya: Hope I haven't made you wait too long

Cerridwen-Maiden: She will, that's where I plan to have them fight over him

Wind797: heheh, patience is a virtue my friend.

AND!!! Without further ado!! I present to you!!

X—X—X—X—X

Without Sasuke

Chapter 14: Second Phase, Part two

Ubara Heni collapsed inside the small shelter he had found for his team, wiping the sweat from his brow as he allowed himself a smile. He deserved one, he thought. After all, an under aged genin had managed to drag his two team mates to relative safety after they had been knocked out. Not only that, but he had also managed to set up a defensive network of traps to warn him as well as fend off any would be attackers looking to take advantage of just one conscious member.

Moments of the fight flashed through his brain as he tried to piece together the puzzle that his mind had thrown at him. It had not seemed right. It seemed simply… too easy. The way the Kusa nin had rushed in, the wind jutsu separating the three. The way that the woman so easily provoked Sasuke into a blind rage with a few words. Only someone who knew of Sasuke's past would have been to do that so effectively, only someone who knew of the hatred between Sasuke and his brother, Itachi.

What worried Heni most had been the moment he had seen the man rip his face off, almost as if he had ripped off a piece of clothing or as if he was shedding skin. Heni shivered at the though. Only snakes shedded skin in that manner and he had no idea who would ever have such a close connection with snakes.

Another memory flashed through Heni's head. Memories of their Academy days, days that they had gone to school with interest, days when they had been taught about the Sannin of Konoha. And it was that memory that sent jolts of what seemed like electricity throughout his body. He finally recognized the face that he had seen. The face that had been under the melted off mask or skin, the face that belonged to one of the Sannin of Konoha, Orochimaru the snake Sannin.

That explained how he had taken down Sasuke and Hisemi so easily. Two genin would obviously be no match for someone at the level of Sannin. But that also brought new questions to the surface. Ones that Heni would have to ponder on. It was obvious that Orochimaru had know where Sasuke was and where to find him. But why did he want Sasuke? The Sharingan, Heni could understand, but why would the snake sannin want the boy alive? And what was the purpose of the mark he had made on Sasuke's neck?

A pull on Heni's pinky finger alerted the young genin to movement in the near vicinity of their shelter. They had taken refuge under the trunk of a tree, where the thick roots had risen up to form a sort of cave. There was only one entrance, one place for them to be spotted and Heni had been careful enough not to start a fire.

The young boy made no move, it was only the outer wire that had been tripped. It had been laid as a warning, not as a defense. The defensive traps would fire next, if the intruder was in fact heading towards them.

Another tug on his ring finger alerted him to another movement. This time from the opposite side of the opening. That meant that there were at least two people, both sneaking up from both sides. Surely there was one more coming straight at them.

The whizzing sound of shuriken reached Heni's ears and the boy instinctively threw five shuriken of his own to deflect those heading towards him. He silently cursed himself for his reactions. The shuriken were sure not to enter the shelter, but now he had given them away. He stood up and walked to the entrance before stepping out into the open. There was only one choice now. Fight them and hope that either of his team mates woke up before he was beaten.

X—X—X—X—X

The team of Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji and Nara Shikamaru watched from behind some bushes as three ninja from a village that they had no information about landed in front of Heni. The three of them had been trying to find a safe shelter to rest at, an easily defensible position in Shikamaru's mind and had finally ended up here where a fight was about to take place.

"Let's go Shikamaru!" Urged Ino in a whisper. "Let's use this as a distraction and get away. I don't want to help Sasuke's team in any way."

Chouji remained silent, his hands straying from his bag of potato chips. Even he knew that munching on them at this time could alert the new nin to their presence and would take away any chance of a sneak attack on the foreign team.

"Ino. I know you hate Sasuke for what he did to Sakura, but you can't blame the other two for that. It wasn't them that did it. and it wasn't them that asked to be put in the same team as the teme. Do you want to let them die for something they were bullied into?" asked Shikamaru.

Ino looked at Shikamaru and sighed. The Nara genius was right. It was pretty unfair of her to abandon the other two just because of something the third member in their team had done. She looked at Shikamaru and nodded before turning around to watch the battle unfolding.

It was a three on one. The age and experience as well as the physical attributes clearly lying with the new nin.

"Oy! Kid!" called the one in the middle. The man looked like a mummy, the whole of his body wrapped up in bandages except for his left eye. However what caught Ino's eye was the weird device he had on his arm.

"Get out of the way! Our business is with Sasuke-kun." Said the man.

"Sasuke is indisposed of." Said Heni, trying to keep his cool. "You can leave a message with me if you want."

"You know Dosu, maybe Sasuke-kun will come out if we beat his friend up." Said the other man as he flexed his arms, ready to charge in.

However it was their third member that stepped forward, a young woman whose age Shikamaru estimated to be around 20 and not much older than them.

"Go for their cave, I'll take this child on." she said, with a sweet smile as she rested a fist on her hip, the other hand slowly reaching toward her pouch.

The Konoha genin grinned. It was just what he had wanted and also what he had planned for. It would be simple to take on a meager girl once the other two had fallen for the traps that he had laid.

"Think you can take me on?" teased Heni. "There is not a single genin Kunoichi in Konoha that has been able to beat me. What makes you think you can?" The boy asked as he twirled a kunai around his finger.

The girl just smiled back at him, digging in her Kunai pouch before whipping her hand towards him, two slim senbon leaving her hand as they traveled towards him.

Heni laughed as he watched the senbon sail past him, missing him by inches. "Is that what they teach you from whichever village you come from? How to miss?" he asked sarcastically.

Shikamaru shook his head. How in the world had Heni not managed to notice that the girl was in fact not aiming at him but the trap that he had set up moments earlier?

"Who said Kin missed?" asked the man without the bandages.

It was only then that Heni heard the slight whoosh of multiples kunai heading straight for him. Kin had never been aiming for him! She had been aiming for his trap! Yet, they should have known that he would have never stood in range of one of his traps. No, this was one he had purposely walked over. They would never expect him to stand in front of his traps, would they?

The last man raised one of his hands, opening his palm revealing some sort of hole in it. It was the Konoha genin's turn to stare at the hole wondering what it could do when the man pointed it at him, speaking out the words in the process.

"Zankyuuha!"

The sudden burst of pressurized wind that came out of the man's palm, more specifically the hole in it, lifted the young genin off of his feet and straight towards the incoming hail of kunai. Heni had already resigned himself to an early death when a familiar figure appeared next to him in his traditional family taijutsu stance.

"Hakkeshou: Kaiten!" came the voice of one Hyuuga Neji as a dome of chakra enveloped both the Hyuuga as well as Heni, the kunai bouncing off the rapidly spinning sphere and away from the younger genin.

"Neji-san." Heni breathed in relief as he watched the Hyuuga slip back into the Jyuuken stance. He knew there would be more attacks to come, yet Heni knew something that the enemy nin wouldn't know. Heni knew that wherever Hyuuga Neji went, his two team mates would surely be not far behind.

Heni heard the slight jingle of metal as the kunai that had embedded itself in the earth after being deflected rose. He was sure that none of the enemy had heard it. It was so slight that only someone who had spent years in a smithy would hear it. In Heni's case, he had literally grown up in one.

A green blur appeared next to the mummified man, a green legged boot propelling the man towards the dangling net of kunai.

"Dosu!" Yelled Kin as she helplessly watched their team leader travel through the air towards what seemed to be his death. Heni assumed it would have been so if the second man had not intervened, his Zankyuuha blowing away all the Kunai.

The three Oto nin wasted no further time, immediately launching attacks on the new arrivals. Kin drove for Neji, her senbon causing the stoic Hyuuga boy to dance and weave around the incoming projectiles. Dosu was facing off with Lee and it was clear who Tenten would be taking on.

"Zaku." Spoke the mummified man. "Keep her off of my back." He commanded as he charged at Lee, the green clad genin following suit.

Lee was the first of the two ninja to make a move, lashing out his leg towards Dosu's face. The lead Oto nin side stepped the foot, going for the knee to Lee's midriff instead of the usual fist to his face. After all it wouldn't do for them if all of their abilities were to be known before the final tournament.

Meanwhile, Tenten was having trouble facing Zaku. It was the worst match up that could have ever been possible in these exams. Weapons user versus wind user and it was pure common sense on who would have the upper hand. Nothing was working against this man. Her accuracy with projectiles good for nothing as all he would do was to blow them away and being a weapons user, Tenten would regret losing or using up each and every one of them.

Tenten steeled herself. There was only one way that she could take out a wind user and since wind users were mainly mid to long range support, it meant that she would have to come in close to incapacitate him at all.

Something shooting up into the air caught the attention of both Neji and Tenten, their eyes coming to rest on the rising form of Dosu as he sailed up into the sky. However, a green figure soon joined Dosu, taking up a place exactly behind the mummified man. There were only two moves that required the Kage Buyou to be used and the fact that Lee had resorted to using them in any way meant that he had been pushed to his limit.

Neji was the first to react, immediately closing the gap between him and Kin, hitting her fast and closing some of her tenketsu. Tenten, however, was a bit too far away from Zaku to be able to do the same, a one handed Zankyuuha making her keep her distance.

Heni watched as the green figure of Rock Lee wrapped his arms around a still dazed Dosu before slamming him into the ground. It was then that he truly realized why the famed Omote Renge was forbidden to Lee. Not only did it cause lethal damage, or rather in this case not so lethal damage as the cushion Zaku had made by pumping air into the earth cushioned Dosu's impact, but it was also a double edged sword evident from the fact that Lee could barely dodge after the move.

Dosu plucked himself from the earth slowly and gingerly, trying not to break any fractured bones. He would have attacked Lee had it not been for the enormous chakra release from where the two genin of Team 11 lay. All movement from the three teams ceased, their eyes trying to find out where the vile chakra was being emitted from.

"So, I hear the both of you are looking for me." Stated Sasuke's nasal voice as the boy walked up from behind Heni.

Both Dosu's and Zaku's eyes widened. Not yet had they seen someone survive the Heaven Curse seal that Orochimaru had given to dozens before. Sasuke was the only one and from what information Kabuto had given them, it had not even been more than 12 hours since he had been given it. Yet here was the boy, standing tall and proud, the black marks of the curse seal covering half of his face. His normally blue chakra now a wicked purple as it surrounded him.

Zaku immediately stood up. "Yeah. We were. Our Otokage sent us to check on the youngest Uchiha was. He wants to know how powerful you are since the loss of your prized clan."

"How powerful eh?" came Sasuke's voice from behind Zaku as the boy shunshined.

Zaku had no time to react as Sasuke grabbed both of Zaku's arms, pulling them behind his back as he used his foot as leverage.

"Lets see how powerful you are when you lose these arms you hold so dearly."

Zaku could only scream as he felt his arms being pulled out of their sockets, the sound of cracking cartilage reaching his ears before he blacked out from the pain.

"Who wants to see my power next?" Asked Sasuke as he eyed both Oto nin and Konoha nin alike, his eyes resting briefly on the two Oto nin as well as Lee before they moved on.

Dosu quickly dug in his pouch and produced an Earth Scroll which he threw over to Sasuke.

"That is the scroll you want right, Sasuke-kun?" Dosu asked in a shaky voice. "Why don't you just let us go now that you have what you want?"

The fear was evident in both Dosu's and Kin's eyes, now that the girl had woken up from the assault of Hyuuga Neji.

Sasuke laughed, for the first time since they had become a team, Heni heard Sasuke laugh. He wasn't sure whether it could even be called a laugh apart from the sounds that Sasuke made. There was no feeling of joy or happiness in it but rather the opposite. This laugh was cold and dangerous, as if to say that what Dosu had offered was not enough.

"Do you think that the scroll is truly what I want from you? Would you give me your lives if it were that I asked for?" Asked Sasuke, obviously amused by the offer that Dosu had made.

Truly, Sasuke did not want to take the Oto nin's lives. Did he?

"Sasuke. That's enough. We have what we need. There is no need to take their lives." Said Heni as he walked over to Sasuke, the eyes of the other three Konoha nin still on him.

The Uchiha whirled around, fury raging in his eyes.

"You have no right to tell me what I need and what I do not need!" He growled. For a moment, Heni was sure Sasuke would attack him. That was until the Uchiha turned back to face the Oto nin.

"Fine. I will let you go, but you must make it through to the final Exam. After all, where better to show your Otokage my power and your pathetic strength than in the final tournament." Said the Uchiha before he walked back into their shelter, leaving Heni alone with Team Gai.

"Ne Otouto, you have scary team mates." Said Tenten as she walked over.

Heni sighed. "I know Onee-chan. At least be thankful it is not you on the same team with them."

Higurashi Tenten could not help but laugh at her younger brother's joke. Sometimes even she herself had thought the same thing of her own team.

"Tenten, we need to move, I want to reach the tower as soon as possible." Spoke Neji as he turned and walked over to Lee adding more as he picked the green clad genin up. "I'm just doing this so that we can end this faster."

Tenten sighed and shook her head. She saw the real Neji inside of him. The kind and caring one, at least to some extent. All he needed was someone to take his hatred away from him and the he would finally be free of his burden.

A glance from Neji told her not to linger any longer and she jogged after them, waving back to Heni as she ran.

Heni waved back, silently thanking his sister for bringing her team to help him out. He was sure they would not have come any other way.

However, it was Neji's parting words than send a chill down his spine.

"Oh, by the way, some genin stole your Heaven scroll while you were busy."

The Young genin ran back to their shelter, hoping Sasuke didn't notice the missing scroll. If he did, Heni was probably going to die.

X—X—X—X—X

Team 7 and Team 8 reached the tower a couple of hours after they had left their camping spot, exactly 36 hours since the exam had started. None of them had spoken a word since they had left, choosing to travel in silence and avoid attracting any more attention towards them.

The tower rose high from the middle of the Forest, a wooden structure that still looked in its prime. It was initially used as a storage facility, to house the most protected of village information, though now that has been moved to locations unknown mainly due to Orochimaru's betrayal of the village. Now it was mainly used for either Chuunin exams of Jounin exams as well as housing the village's carrier birds.

The main entrance to the tower lead to a large tiled hall. The two teams filed in and spread out, each team by themselves.

"Oy Naruto, what do we do now?" called Kiba as they looked around only to find the hall empty and devoid of life apart from them.

"I guess now is the time we open the scrolls. Both of them at once I would say." Replied the blonde genin as he unsealed the scrolls from his storage scroll.

He tossed the Heaven scroll to Sakura as he took the Earth scroll in his.

"On my mark… 3… 2… 1… Mark!"

The two scrolls fell on the tiled floor open and one on top of the other. The three genin immediately stepped back, ready for whatever might come out of it. After all, Anko had warned them about what would happen if they opened the scrolls beforehand.

"What does the scroll say?" asked Sakura as she inched closer, jumping back as a cloud of smoke erupted from the scrolls.

"Ma, Ma. Sorry I'm late. You see there was a black cat that crossed my path and I had to take the long way here." Came Kakashi's voice as the smoke cleared. Another poof from behind them signaled the arrival of what was likely to be Team 8's Sensei, Kurenai.

"Anyways." Continued Kakashi. "Congratulations on passing the second phase of the Exams. Rooms will be provided to each of you in this building as none of the entrants are allowed to leave this grounds before the whole of the phase is concluded."

"Now onto the scrolls. They contain advice on your path to becoming a Chuunin as well as Jounin or higher. The Heaven scroll states that If you are strong in the body but weak in the mind, gain knowledge and strategies and Heaven will reveal its riches to you. The Earth scroll states that if you are strong in the mind but weak in the body, train yourself and strengthen your body and the Earth will submit its resources to you."

"If you have nothing more, Kabuto-san, your sensei is waiting for you on the third floor."

Kabuto knew that this was the cue for him to leave the three alone. His job was done and now it was time to report to Orochimaru. With a courteous bow, the Oto spy left the trio of Team 7 alone.

Once Kabuto was out of hearing, Kakashi spoke. "Sasuke?"

Naruto shook his head.

"We haven't seen him since the beginning of the exam. We've literally had our hands full. Ever since Sakura managed to steal a scroll from some freaky Kusa nin."

"Kusa nin?" echoed Kakashi. "Kusagakure has sent us a report of a dead Chuunin exam applicant that turned up in their village."

"But I saw her kill her two team mates." Said Sakura.

"That wasn't a Kusa nin at all." Came the voice of Mitarashi Anko as she walked over. "Orochimaru has infiltrated the exams. I have felt him since the beginning of this phase. And with your story as well as the ANBU confirmation of the two dead Kusa nin in the forest we can be sure that it is indeed him that you met. I am quite amazed that you survived."

Sakura blushed. It was one thing to be complimented on by your boyfriend and your teacher but it was a totally different feeling to be complimented by a higher ranked Kunoichi who has never seen you fight.

"It helps running away when you spend most of the day with the prank master of Konoha." Said the pink haired girl however it was clear that neither Jounin was listening to her.

"The question remains why is he here? What does he hope to accomplish by infiltrating some Chuunin exam?" asked Kakashi.

"I don't know Kakashi." Spoke Anko. "I've gone to the Hokage with the information and he wants us to carry on with the Exam keeping in mind of Orochimaru's presence. He also wants you two to abort your mission. We cannot allow such a mad man getting hold of someone like you were his exact words."

Sakura was confused. Who was Anko talking about? Who could they not afford to lose into the hands of Orochimaru.

It was Naruto who spoke up next. "Kakashi-sensei, if there is nothing else, I would like to talk to Sakura-chan before we get some rest."

Kakashi nodded to the boy, instantly understanding what topic could be that urgent. "Alright, you two may leave. Your rooms are on the second floor of the building, there will be someone on each floor to guide you to them."

Sakura could have sworn she had heard Kakashi whisper the words, "Good luck Naruto." As the two genin walked away. However, she had far more pressing thoughts to think about. Like what it was that Naruto needed to talk to her about so urgently.

X—X—X—X—X

The loud scream of "WHAT!?" rang through out the forest causing Hyuuga Hisemi to jump to his feet fully awake, the voice obviously Sasuke's due to the nasal tone.

"What do you mean our Heaven scroll has been stolen!" yelled Sasuke as Hisemi groggily walked out.

"Shhhhhh! Calm down! We do not want to attract any more unwanted attention." Urged Heni. "I don't know who stole it or how, but I had my hands full with the Oto nin before Oneechan came along."

Hisemi knew that Heni's sister was none other than Higurashi Tenten and he also knew that the Team Gai would always stick together unless in the most dire circumstances. That meant that Neji had come as well and the fact that Neji had saved them made his blood boil.

"Maybe I want the attention so I can kick their asses and take their scroll instead of beating you into a bloody pulp!" roared Sasuke as he took a swing at Heni who ducked under the punch.

"We atleast have the Earth scroll." Squeaked a cowered Heni hoping to calm the enraged Uchiha.

"You are useless! The both of you!" growled Sasuke. "You are doing nothing but get in my way of obtaining power."

The Uchiha could still feel the power from the other night coursing through his body. The exhilarating rush that had overwhelmed his body as massive amounts of chakra began to flow through him. He could feel the difference between the strength he had now and the strength he had used to pull Zaku's arms out of their sockets. He could feel the difference of strength the village had given him and what the mysterious attacker had given him in such a short time.

"Get me a Heaven scroll and I'll forget this happened. But once the exams are done, our team is over. Bunch of weaklings!" said the Uchiha as he spat on the ground, before fixing Hisemi with a glare as he walked into the trees. The two younger boys spared a confused glance at each other before they hurriedly packed their equipment and ran after the elder Genin, numerous thoughts going through their young minds. Yet both of them decided that they would be thankful if they even got through the exams at all.

X—X—X—X—X

Up in their room, Naruto sat Sakura down on a futon as he prepared himself, not for her reaction but rather the telling of the story.

"Naruto." Spoke Sakura, the worry and confusion apparent in her soft voice. "What's going on? What's happening?"

Naruto looked into her eyes as he sat down in front of her. "Hear me out from the beginning and only then will you truly understand."

The boy waited for Sakura to nod before he continued.

"I'm sure you will have heard the story of the Kyuubi attack. Correct?"

The girl nodded, not quite knowing whether to speak or not. Her choice was made for her when Naruto continued.

"Unlike what you have heard, the Kyuubi was not killed. Being a body made of pure chakra, the fox had no body that the Yondaime could kill. So instead, he made a plan to contain the demon."

"He sealed it?" Asked Sakura.

"Yes."

"Where?" She asked her breath hitching in her throat.

Sakura knew how much chakra it took to add a kilo to their weight seals. She knew how much chakra it would take to seal something even as ordinary as a kunai. The chakra needed was huge, not something she could cope with for a long time. It was the reason why she had left the sealing to Naruto alone. She knew that he had the chakra necessary to be a proper seal master. But to think that the Yondaime had sealed something as powerful as the Kyuubi, it was madness.

"The Kyuubi being a demon made of pure chakra meant that no simple container could contain it. The amount of chakra the Kyuubi possessed was so vast that sealing it in anything but a living being was impossible. And not just any living being would do. It would require a new born baby, whose chakra coils had not developed. The Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi… in me."

The wide eyed look Sakura gave him made Naruto feel as if someone was ripping his heart to shreds.

"How?" she breathed. "Why?"

"Being the seal master that he was, the Yondaime came up with a seal that would give his soul to the shinigami in exchange for sealing the Kyuubi in me. The seal is designed so that the Kyuubi's chakra would be filtered and added into my reserves, little by little as I grow up, eventually at some point in time fully incorporating its chakra into mine. As for why he picked me? Who knows?"

"Is that why the Hokage asked us to abort our mission? So that the Kyuubi wont fall into Orochimaru's hands?" asked Sakura, as the pieces finally fell into place in her brain.

Naruto nodded. "Even though there is no way for the Kyuubi to break out of the seal, the Hokage feels it is still possible for someone to extract the chakra from the seal, much similar to the way that I use its chakra."

The bridge, Sakura realized. The red chakra that Haku had been scared of and asked about had been Naruto tapping into the Kyuubi's chakra.

Seeing the girl lost in thought, Naruto bowed his head.

"I just needed to tell you, Sakura-chan. I didn't want you to fall in love with me not knowing what I am."

The sound of a slap echoed through the room before Sakura even knew it, her hand bounding off of Naruto's cheek.

Now she knew the reasons for all the glares and the hateful stares, the curses thrown at him as he walked by, why everything was overpriced for him and not for her. They all thought of him as the demon. The reincarnation of Kyuubi rather than its container or jailer and all the years of abuse, had even made him come to think of himself as the Kyuubi.

"You are not the Kyuubi." She said forcefully. "Do you understand me?"

A teary eyed Naruto looked back at her.

"What if I lose control, Sakura-chan? Back at the bridge, I was so angry I didn't know what I was doing. I couldn't control myself. I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you because of me."

"You won't lose control, Naruto. I know you won't. Besides I would like to think that the big thing I have been training for is to help you overcome the Kyuubi."

"Sakura-chan." He whispered but she silenced him with a finger to his lips before she leaned in near his ear.

"If you'll be my fox, I will be your vixen." She whispered in a dreamy voice that sent goose bumps up Naruto's neck.

Naruto however, was not one to give into such tactics and moved in closer, his face angling as he looked deep within her green eyes.

"And what do I get if I agree?" he whispered.

Sakura was mesmerized. The feeling of his breath on her lips, his nose barely touching her cheek, those cerulean blue eyes that seemed to see all the way into her soul, the hands that had somehow found their way to hers. All of these things seemed to point to the one thing that she did just then, bridging the few centimeters between their lips, kissing him full on the mouth with passion that seemed to have been stored for many a month.

The two did not go any further. They did not want to nor even need to. Satisfied with their taste on each others lips the couple fell asleep together in each others arms. They were so comfortable that they would sleep until a servant woke them up later the other day to ask them to gather in the arena for the preliminaries.

X—X—X—X—X

39 hours into the exam, the genin of team 10 more commonly known as Team Asuma was racing towards the tower when they were caught in a genjutsu from an unknown Ame team.

It was not until they crossed the same river twice did they realize that they actually were in one. And this brought about the question as to why the opposing team had not attacked them yet. Shikamaru figured out that there was only one logical reason.

Whoever had trapped them did not know which one of them had the scroll. And they weren't confident enough that their full frontal attacks would be successful enough to reveal and take the scroll that he had stored in his pouch. Of course that also meant that the Ame team had no idea that a similar scroll was hidden in Akimichi Chouji's kunai holster as well, the one that they had liberated from the grasp of an Iwa genin as he tried to walk away from the battle between the leaf and the sound.

The Ame team was waiting for one of two reasons. Either they were trying to come up with a plan or were looking for the scroll bearer to put the plan into action and this was what Shikamaru was currently trying to make good use of.

The Nara genius cursed to himself. If only there was a way to make the genjutsu user show himself, then it would all be over. Shikamaru slapped his head in disbelief. Of course there was a way to make the nin show themselves. Show them what they had come for.

The trio of team Asuma pulled to a halt, Shikamaru turning around to face his team mates.

"Chouji, may I have the scroll?"

The other two were slightly taken aback at the sudden change of demeanor from the normally lazy boy.

"Why do you want it Shika?" asked Chouji, not fully trusting the boy in front of him.

"I just want to carry it. I mean since it's not too troublesome and all." Said the pineapple haired boy nonchalantly.

Ino's eyes widened. Since it's not too troublesome. The only time that Shikamaru found something not troublesome was if it was a game of Shogi or gazing at the clouds, which was the main reason why the trio had opted for that to be the code phrase for any trouble. And Ino knew that Shikamaru had come up with a plan.

"Alright." Said Chouji as he dug in his Kunai holster and produced the second Heaven scroll.

"Lucky." Came a slightly robotic voice from the trees as soon as the scroll came into view, the three nin of Team 10 immediately snapping their heads in the direction.

In front of them was a bit older Ame nin, clad in peach overalls and with an interesting looking device in his mouth.

"Hand over the scroll and we will let you walk out of here alive." Said the Ame nin as he dropped to the ground.

"You and what army?" sneered Ino as she took a ready taijutsu stance. Shikamaru glanced upwards and noted that this was one of the most advantageous times to use his Kagemane no Jutsu. Not yet he thought. The time to use it would come soon and then it would be over for the Ame nin.

"This army." Came multiple voices as clones rose from the ground and surrounded them.

The three Konoha Genin slowly backed up so that their backs were pressed into each other, the bunshin moving forwards as they gave space.

Both Ino and Shikamaru took out their Kunai, while Chouji formed a handseal, readying themselves for what was to come.

"Heh. Don't think we are going to give this up without a fight!" called the Nara as the three Konoha genin charged the army of clones.

A chakra enhanced jump sent Chouji flying high above the clones, the words "Baika no Jutsu." Greatly increasing the Akimichi's size as he fell on top of the clones.

"Lucky." Came the Ame nin's voice again. "I guess we would have been crushed if not for our Doton: Dochuu Eigyo no Jutsu (Earth Release: Underground Fish Projection Technique)"

It was Ino's turn to smile this time. "So there are more than one of you in here."

"Unlucky!" came the man's voice as he disappeared into the ground, his voice reaching their ears a moment later. "Kasumi Juusha no Jutsu (Mist Servant Tecnhique)"

The Konoha nin fell back as black liquid oozed up from the ground, slowly forming into more clones. These however, were not as simple as the Oboro Bunshin (Haze Clones) they had used earlier, as Shikamaru and his team found out the hard way.

These Kasumi Juusha were solid, regenerating after every hit and seemingly able to attack as fluidly as the nin themselves.

Shikamau gritted his teeth as he fought on, feeling his strength sap with each clone he killed or rather tried to kill. No, they had to keep fighting. It was the only way their plan would work.

Sure enough a moment later a batch of Kasumi Juusha vanished, and they heard a "What?" from the Ame nin who was attacking them.

"Kagari!" came the Ame nin's voice as he rose up from the ground to see another batch of Kasumi Juusha vanish along with a lot of the Oboro Bunshin. "Mubi!"

He turned to Team 10 with astonishment on his face.

"How were you able to take out my team mates? There is no way you could have found them while defending yourselves."

Chouji smiled as he walked over, forming handseals and performing the Bubun Baika no Jutsu (Partial Multi Size Technique)

"We had help." Was all he said before the largely oversized hand knocked the Ame nin out.

"Any luck?" asked Shikamaru as he looked into the trees.

"No, not much." Came the voice of Hyuuga Hisemi as he walked out of the forest, Heni by his side. "All we found was an Earth Scroll. Its what you want right?" said the Hyuuga as he tossed Shikamaru the scroll.

A close inspection of the scroll proved to the Nara that this was indeed an earth scroll and not some cheap imitation of it.

"Yeah it is." He said as he pocketed the scroll. "And this is what you want right?" finished the Nara as he tossed the Heaven scroll Chouji had given to him moments earlier.

"We have one more of those. Didn't tell you because it would ensure your help." Stated the Nara as a matter of fact.

Heni nodded. "Thanks. We better be off before almighty Sasuke thinks we've been gone for too long. See you at the tower?"

With a nod and no further words, the two teams separated, Heni and Hisemi going to rendezvous with Sasuke before they started for the tower. Team 10 lingered no longer, immediately taking off for the tower and safety.

Both teams arrived half an hour apart from each other, yet both behind the Oto team made up of Dosu, Kin and Zaku. Team 11 was the last team to come in with both scrolls and Sasuke was not happy with the fact as most of the participants found when they later came in to hall.

X—X—X—X—X


	15. Chapter 15: First Fight Uchiha Vs ?

**iiWishUponAStar: She will **

**Lady Katanya: Come-upins? What are those?**

**Shoulda'BeenBornAShinobi: I understand what you are saying. Though I feel that at the moment Oto is actually stronger than Suna based on the few ninja we know of. And if I am correct, if I am not then this is what I will go with in my fic :P, the village of Oto was formed by Orochimaru by granting other criminals and Nuke-nins with asylum and a place to call home. As such I would think that atleast someone would call him Otokage.**

**Karl Skywalker: Not sure whether you have reviewed earlier. Don't quite remember your name. but no worries… and welcome to this fic **

**DOOOOOM: (is the number of O I have put in your name correct?) No, he's not. And I have really no idea about the Kyuubi.**

**Karibanu: Ummm… Can you like…errr... Break that up into shorter sentences instead of just one?**

**X—X—X—X—X**

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 15 : Third Phase Begins

It was late in the afternoon when Naruto and Sakura were woken up by the sound of someone knocking on their door. The couple separated with blushes on their faces as a Kagebunshin answered the door.

Outside it was a man in Chuunin uniform much like the one that their academy teacher Umino Iruka had worn through out his days teaching them. The last time that Naruto had heard from Iruka had been a short message stating how Iruka had missed him in the Academy. It brought a smile to Naruto's face to know that the once lonely man had now found a woman to settle down with as well as decided to train in order to further his career as a ninja. Now he could only hope that he and Iruka would have a mission together as Chuunin rather than teacher and student.

"Hokage-sama has requested your presence in the tower's arena where the preliminaries of the third exam will take place. It seems this year's genin teams have set the record for the fastest end of the survival training phase."

"Preliminaries?" asked the clone, confused.

"My apologies but I do not have permission to give you any more information. I was only asked to show you the way to the arena." Replied the Chuunin and the clone nodded before he closed the door and dispelled itself.

"We're having preliminaries before the third phase." Stated Naruto as he strapped on his weapon holsters to his body, making sure that anything and everything they would need or might need was there.

"Better eat something then." Said the pink haired girl as she tossed her boyfriend some wrapped cheese and bread she had found in a cupboard.

The two genin of Team 7 were out of the room and on their way to the arena in minutes, still munching on the dry meal they had conjured up inside. If it was indeed going to be a tournament like the third phase, then the both of them would need every bit of energy they could get.

X—X—X—X—X

The arena, as Naruto soon found out, was just a massive hall in the tower two stories tall. It was more of a dojo than an arena he thought, with an observer platform built on the sides, wide enough for people to stand on.

The both of them walked over to the center of the dojo where the rest of the teams had gathered.

"Looks like all of us made it eh Shikamaru?" spoke Naruto as they walked over, soon joined by the taller figure of Kabuto.

"Yeah, all of us." Stated Shikamaru, flicking his eyes towards the only Konoha team that hadn't joined them.

"Aw why Shikamaru, you sound disappointed." Teased Ino as she nudged the pineapple haired boy in the ribs.

The only response that she got from him was a murmured "Troublesome."

Sakura gave each of her fellow Konoha nin a look, trying to gauge how fit or how injured they were. Being a mainly Konoha dominated exam, it was very likely that friends would be pitted against each other and any knowledge or information they could glean would be very useful to them in those fights. It was during this scanning of the group that Sakura noticed the harsh glare Hinata was giving her.

Sakura had known the timid girl since her first days in the academy. They had even been close friends until Sakura's obsession with Sasuke. Sakura still remembered how she had teased Hinata about her crush on Naruto, who back then was nobody to her. Could it be that while Sakura had gotten over her crush on Sasuke that Hinata had still clung on to her crush on Naruto? Could that be the reason for all the hateful glares Hinata had been giving her? If so that meant that Sakura would have to face her one way or another, sooner or later, in her battle for Naruto.

A cough brought everyone's attention to a Jounin that had stepped in front of them and behind the Jounin stood the strongest ninja in all of Konoha, the Sandaime Hokage. Once everyone was quiet, the Hokage stepped forward.

"First of all, I would like to give congratulations to all of you on making it past the second phase… alive. As you all know, this year we had a record number of genin participating in these Chuunin exams, with the inclusion of a new hidden village, the Sound. Normally, the third phase is held as a tournament in the largest public arena in the host village. This not only proved who had the strength to become Chuunin but it also gave the villages a chance to show off their ninja's qualities in a large and public affair. Thus it increased the chances of that particular village gaining more missions than the rest of the villages in turn bringing about more income to the village."

There was a slight pause before the Hokage continued.

"This year's third phase shall also be a tournament as usual. All the nations Daimyo's and leaders will be invited to observe the proceedings of the tournament and as such I expect each and every one of you, to give it their all in this tournament to bring fame and fortune to their villages. As you know, most of these nobles are leaders of their countries, nations or states and as such are busy men. They simply do not have the time nor can we ask of them the time to watch each and every single fight between the 21 of you. As such we are required to hold a preliminary round here in this very dojo."

"Those who pass this round of preliminaries shall get the chance to compete in the official third phase in Konoha's stadium exactly one month from now."

"Hayate-kun." Said the Hokage gesturing to the Jounin beside him. "The floor is yours."

The Jounin fluidly stepped in front of the genin, allowing the Hokage to step behind and take his seat.

"My name, as the Hokage has briefly mentioned, is Gekkou Hayate. I am a Tokubetsu Jounin of Konoha and I consider it an honor to be chosen as the examiner for this preliminary round. If all of you will look at this screen." Said the man as he walked over and stood under a black screen.

"This screen has been fed with the names of each and every one of you and will draw two names at random. The two genin chosen will be required to fight against each other until a clear winner can be decided. This can be either when the opponent is too beaten up to fight, in which case I will intervene and bring the match to an end, or when one of the two contestants is dead. The winner is automatically moved on to the third phase."

"If there is any genin who wish to withdraw your names, you may do so now and not later. This withdrawal will mean you will not continue on to the third phase, however, your team mates will still be able to continue and your village may choose to promote you to Chuunin based on your performance in the previous two phases. Anyone?"

Naruto looked around, his eyes coming to rest on a single raised arm of Yakushi Kabuto.

"Kabuto-san." Whispered Sakura, to which Kabuto just smiled.

"It's alright, it has always been the reason why I have failed to be promoted 7 times. I'm just not cut out for battles." He said.

"Yakushi Kabuto, you may leave." Called out Hayate.

Now there were only 20 left. That would mean that each and every one left standing in the dojo would have at least one fight. Each of them would have to beat at least one opponent before they had a spot in the final phase of the exam.

"If there are no further questions, you may all go upstairs to stand with your senseis. If your name comes on the screen, please come down into the arena."

The genin slowly filed up the stairs, each trio stopping beside their sensei, while the others moved on till they reached theirs. Once Naruto and Sakura reached Kakashi, they heard the Jounin speak.

"No matter what you do, do not look over at the Sound Jounin. We are pretty sure that is Orochimaru and we do not want him to think we are on to him."

Neither of the genin bothered to nod or give their sensei any signs, both of their eyes fixed on the screen.

Hayate looked at the screen before speaking out loud. "The first two names please."

All eyes were fixed to the screen as the names started flashing on the screen in random. Naruto himself had never felt as nervous as this before.

The names on top stopped, one single name displayed on the screen as the other still flashed around randomly. Uchiha Sasuke.

The raven haired genin did not wait any longer, as he jumped over the railing and onto the floor below. His gaze was firmly fixed on Naruto who returned it with equal measure. It was clear who Sasuke wanted to fight and by the looks of it, Sasuke would do his best to cause Naruto as much damage as he could if they were to fight.

There was silence for a moment until the second name stopped. All eyes except for Naruto's and Sasuke's still on the screen.

There was a loud yell of "What?!" as the second name blinked continuously. The board showing the full match up.

Uchiha Sasuke

Vs

Ubara Heni

"Proctor!" called Tane. "As the Jounin leading Team 11 I strongly object to this match up. Pitting two genin on the same team against each other is simply not right."

This time it was Hayate's turn to look at Tane. "My apologies, the board is random. It is simply chance that those two names were picked out. I had no hand in the pick. I would still have no hand in it was this to repeat itself. If there are no more objections, Genin please come down to the floor."

Heni looked at Tane as he walked across him. A look full of sorrow and pain. The young boy knew that he would lose. His body not strong or agile enough to compete with the elder body of Uchiha Sasuke and that was even without Sasuke using his Sharingan. Heni knew that there would be no way that Sasuke would go easy on him. The only way out for him without a harsh beating would be to give up. But even Heni had his pride. Even though he might get beaten bad, he was never one to let anything go without a try and this fight was something he would give his all, be it against an elite from Konoha or not.

"Don't cry when I beat you up too bad." Called Sasuke as Heni walked past him to stand across the Uchiha.

"Don't think that I will simply give in without a fight." Replied Heni.

"First match, Uchiha Sasuke versus Ubara Heni, Begin!" yelled Hayate as he leapt back a fair distance in order to give the two genin enough space to perform all their moves.

Heni was the first of the two to make a movement, immediately flipping backwards as he bit both his thumbs.

"Summoning?" whispered Kakashi. No, he realized. The chakra the younger genin had was simply too small for a proper sized summoning. If he had had any, Kakashi assumed that he would have used it at the bridge against Haku.

Seeing Heni back flip, Sasuke activated his Sharingan as he ran towards his team mate, Kunai out and pointed at Heni's chest.

A cloud of smoke appeared as Heni quickly shoved his hands inside his pockets.

Going all out eh Otouto? Thought Tenten as she watched the fight take place from above. "Make me proud." She whispered to no one in particular.

Sasuke swiped his kunai at Heni, hoping to make the younger genin jump back if nothing else, further pushing him towards the wall. Yet what his Kunai met was neither empty air nor flesh but solid steel. Something hard rammed into Sasuke's stomach, driving out the air in his lungs with a whoosh, the Sharingan useless against something it can't see. The next blow dealt to Sasuke was a knee to his face, the raven haired boy rolling with the blow.

The Uchiha came up on his knee the same moment that the smoke dissipated, bringing into view what Heni now had in his hands, a pair of Tonfa. The Uchiha spat blood onto the floor. The blow to the face had caused him to bite his cheek, causing a cut and of course bleeding. An Uchiha! Bleeding! The Uchiha were the elite of Konoha. No one would or should be able to make them bleed without paying in their blood themselves and being the last Uchiha in Konoha, Sasuke was sure to collect payment.

Sasuke shunshined behind Heni, twisting around as he tried to land a heel kick on his opponents face, the younger genin barely able to raise a tonfa in defense. Sasuke made sure he was out of reach before Heni could retaliate. Over the past attack, Sasuke had found the key to his victory. His speed was something that Heni could not match. Not without the years of training he had had along with his family. Back when he had people he could call family.

In and out, hit and run was the tactic Sasuke used against Heni. Sasuke had to thank Kami that he had found out that Heni was indeed Tenten's younger brother, even though it was only during the second phase. This little bit of knowledge told him that Heni was most probably a weapons user like his sister. His first rush had been an attempt to prevent Heni from drawing any of his weapons. An attempt at a pre-emptive strike. One that could have very well finished the battle within seconds of its start. But it had failed. Now all Sasuke had to do was to prevent Heni from drawing any long range weapons and he would be fine.

A quick shunshin brought Sasuke right in front of his team mate, a fist cocked back for a punch. He was gone again the moment Heni's arms came up for a block.

Heni was slowing down, Sasuke's tactic working. It was obvious that the younger genins body wasn't as fit as his. It wasn't as capable of speeds that his was. The boy's stamina was no where close to where his stamina was and this was what Sasuke planned to take the most advantage of.

The Uchiha had first seen this tactic put into use by his elder brother Itachi. It had been during a spar between his brother and his father, Sasuke being the only witness to the spar. Itachi had the speed and the body of a young man. His father was old but had the knowledge and the experience. Yet Itachi had been an even match to the old man, his speed working and creating holes in their fathers defense. Itachi would rush in from one side, causing the man to react to that move before he shunshined to the opposite side to land the real blow. Even though Sasuke hated Itachi for the massacre, even he had to admit that Itachi had taught him some useful things as a ninja.

X—X—X—X—X

Tenten watched from above as her younger brother struggled to keep up with the Uchiha's speed. Sasuke's randomness was not helping her brothers cause either, making it difficult to predict when and where he would appear next.

"Your brother is fated to lose this battle." Said Neji as he kept his eyes on the fight going on.

Tenten could only roll her eyes. There was no point in answering when Neji connected something to fate. There would be no way that he would see reason once he was in Fate Mode as Heni had come to call it. Fate Mode, she thought. That really has a nice ring to it, she decided as she once again focused on her brother's match.

X—X—X—X—X

Ubara Heni resisted the urge to wipe the sweat from his brows. He knew that if he didn't, it would soon drip over his eyes and impair his vision. Yet he resisted the urge feeling that it would be too risky to attempt such a move.

After all, he was having trouble following Sasuke's movements as it were. Even if he was able to read them, his body was too slow to react to each and every movement his opponent made. Heni was sure that Sasuke now knew how tired he was becoming. He knew that Sasuke knew that Heni would not be able to redirect a movement once fully committed. And it was this simple knowledge that made Sasuke such a dangerous opponent.

Heni stood and watched as Sasuke flashed through some handseals in mid air, only rolling away once the Uchiha had yelled out the words "Katon, Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Fire element: Grand Fireball Technique)"

Heni managed to roll under the oncoming blaze, the smell of singed clothing reaching his nose as he ran towards where the jutsu was performed from only to find the Uchiha gone, Heni's tonfa powering through empty air.

"Below." Came Sasuke's voice as a sandaled foot met Heni's chin sending the young genin flying into the air, his tonfa falling to the ground below.

A movement behind him caught his attention, the corner of his eye finding a shape below him, flying along with him. The Kage Buyou, realized Heni. Sasuke must have copied it off of Lee during their spar before the beginning of the Exams. But what was he going to do? Sasuke had not seen Lee perform the Lotus, so there was no way that he would use it. So what exactly did he have in mind when he performed the Kage Buyou (Shadow of the Dancing Leaf)?

"It's all original from out here." Came the Uchiha's voice, breaking Heni out of his contemplation.

Sasuke twisted to his right, sending a backhand at the younger genin. Heni caught the fist as it came closer to his face, but was not expecting Sasuke to use the momentum to flip himself around. This little move let Sasuke ram a free fist into Heni's face, the younger genin's nose snapping under the impact. Sasuke did not let up, immediately grabbing the neck of Heni's shirt and pulling the younger team mate towards him. A few punches later, Sasuke used both of his legs to thrust Heni towards the rapidly rising floor.

However, Ubara Heni had some tricks of his own as well, as he spun and threw a couple of Kunai towards the two walls of the dojo. A pull on the rope connecting the Kunai to his belt, stopped his fall momentarily, before it retracted. This sudden retraction propelled the young genin towards Sasuke, who instantly began forming seals for the Goukakyuu.

A piece of wire wrapped tight around Sasuke's body before the Uchiha could complete the set, effectively halting the jutsu that was sure to burn Heni to crisp. Now, with his arms tied to his body, Sasuke could only brace for the crashing of the two bodies.

The force of Heni's punch added to the momentum of propulsion spun the two genin around so that it was Sasuke who was under Heni and there was no way that the younger but bloodied up genin was going to pass up this once in a lifetime chance to beat Sasuke up. He would do it for everyone that had been bullied and abused by Sasuke in the past.

Heni's gloved fist slammed into Sasuke's face, blood splattering from a cut on the Uchiha's cheek. Sasuke had always assumed that the gloves that Heni wore were normal gloves meant to protect the hand. He had never thought that the gloves had metal studs where the knuckles would be. He needed to break out of the wire fast, or he would not have a face anymore. The faces of his family flashing briefly through his memory.

His brother, Uchiha Itachi, said to be the only genius to appear from the Uchiha Clan in the late years and the one responsible for the massacre of the clan. "You are weak, Otouto. How do you plan to beat me if you can't even beat a low level nin who doesn't even belong to a clan."

His father, said to be the strongest Uchiha living during the days before the massacre, Uchiha Itachi coming a close second. "Don't you dare show your face in front of me today! You couldn't defeat a boy who has not even received a full year of training! You are no son of Uchiha Fugaku! Leave! You disgust me."

His mother, Uchiha Mikoto, a Jounin in her own right and probably the only one from the family that really loved Sasuke. "Poor Sasuke-kun, did he get beaten up again today? That's alright. You will get stronger won't you my dear?"

Anger raged through Sasuke at the memories. This had not been the first time he had lost to a rookie younger than him and his so called family, even his mother, had made the loss worse. What would his brother say to him this time if he were to lose to Heni? How could he even hope to gain enough power to avenge his family if he could not beat a genin who had not even completed his term in the academy?

The vow he had made to himself flashed through his brain.

I am an Avenger, and no one shall stand in my path towards vengeance. They shall either step aside or be cut down.

And this, pathetic genin in front of him, would be one of those cut down to make way.

X—X—X—X—X

Tenten watched the twist in events with a smile. Even though he was young and inexperienced, he was a member of the Higurashi family and the Higurashi were made and forged of steel. Steel was a major part in any Higurashi's life. It was part of their calling, their father a weapon smith, the two children themselves training to be weapon masters as their father had been before them. It was part of their livelihood, so much that they could claim molten steel ran in their veins. As such, the Higurashi had developed a reputation for being as hard to break as molten steel itself.

Tenten watched as her brother attempted to cave in Uchiha Sasuke's face with his Steel Knuckles as they both raced to meet the ground. The punches effective as it whipped Sasuke's head backwards with every blow, only the wire that Heni held in his other hand preventing them from separating. Letting them separate had been Sasuke's mistake, it had allowed Heni to recover from the blows and make a comeback. Tenten was sure that Heni would not make the same mistake himself.

She switched her eyes to the Uchiha and noticed that his deactivated Sharingan had activated again, the dark marks slowly crawling up the side of his face.

"W…what is that?" stuttered Kiba, his team not too far from where Tenten stood near the railing.

"I don't know." Replied Shikamaru from the other side of Kiba. "But I can assure you that Sasuke's opponent is as good as beaten."

The last time she had seen the dark marks at work had been during the second phase, when she had gotten her team to help her brother out. She had seen the power at work. She had felt its aura and it was nothing less than terrifying. She doubted from the display he had given earlier, that even she would be able to hold out against him.

The elder sibling could only watch as Heni stopped his attacks momentarily. No! No! She urged silently, keep punching him!

"Why is he stopping?" asked Lee as he joined her near the railing.

"Look at his glove and the wires around the Uchiha's body." Whispered Kiba. "They are melting."

True enough, Tenten saw the wires melt as the chakra literally burned through it. The wires were tempered steel, stronger than normal ninja wire, specially made for them by their father for them alone. The same material that was used to make all their weapons as well as Heni's Knuckles. Did that mean that his knuckles were melting too? Would this evil chakra burn and melt skin as well? She thought with worry. If so, then Heni was in deep trouble.

Sasuke's hands grabbed Heni's shirt again as he drove his forehead into the younger genin's face, rocking Heni's head back. Tenten saw her brother's eyes roll back and the lids fall shut, telling her that the younger boy was now unconscious. The Uchiha simply shoved her brother to a side, flipping over before he used the heel of his boot to slam the unconscious boy face first into the ground with a cry of "Shishi Rendan! (Lion Combo)"

Sasuke lay there for a second as the marks receded from his face, pain soaring through his body. The power that the seal granted him was exhilarating, yet his body was not used to using such chakra and it was this that caused him the pain. Or so he assumed.

He watched as Hayate walked over and looked at him. The Jounin looked at him with a gaze of apprehension, as if he were waiting for Sasuke to stand up. Of course, thought the Uchiha as he struggled to his feet. If he couldn't stand up that meant he could not fight any longer and thus there would be no decisive winner of the battle. That would mean that neither of them would move on to the final phase. Failure was not an option to Sasuke, and he struggled to his feet long enough for the Jounin to announce the winner.

"Winner of the first match, Uchiha Sasuke."

A team of medics ran in from the side doors to attend to the unconscious Heni, among them the familiar face of Haku. Though Sasuke noticed this, he was too exhausted to react to Haku's presence, instead collapsing on to the floor much like Heni. Naruto and Sakura however waved at the new addition to the Konoha nin.

Once both the genin had been checked for any lethal injuries and carried away on the stretcher, Haku walked up the stairs to join Naruto and Sakura.

"Hey! Looking good!" called Naruto as the bloodline user neared them. "So you're a Chuunin now eh?"

"Yup." Replied Haku with a grin. "Got promoted yesterday and now I am a part of Konoha's Medic nin Corp."

"Wow. That's great!" exclaimed Sakura. "Maybe you can give me some lessons sometime." She added with a wink causing Naruto to pout.

"You never wink at me!" Whined the blond boy causing both Sakura and Haku to laugh.

"Um. I'm sorry to interrupt but I was wondering if you could update me on my brothers' status?" came a feminine voice causing all three plus Kakashi to turn around and look at the newcomer.

"Sorry, my name is Higurashi Tenten and my brother is the one that just lost." Added the girl seeing the question on Haku's face.

"Ah. Well, He hasn't suffered any fatal injuries if that's what you are worried about. At most he has a few broken ribs, a fractured leg and some cuts and bruises. It's his face that suffered the most. But he should be awake in a few hours. You can go and see him then." Replied the newly promoted Chuunin.

"Ah I see. That's good then. Thank you for your help." Said the girl as she turned around to walk away.

"Tenten-san." Called Sakura. "Um if you don't mind, if Heni is indeed your brother, why do the both of you have different family names?"

Tenten smiled yet Naruto could see the pain and the sorrow that the question had dug up.

"It's simple Haruno-san." She said, surprising Sakura with the knowledge of her name. "Heni was born to my mother and father as Higurashi Heni. But our mother died a few days later due to an infection she got during birth. So my father decided to change his name to Ubara Heni, in memory of our mother Ubara Himiko."

"Oh." Was all Sakura managed to say once she knew the truth about Heni. She for one could not even come to imagine how she would have grown up without her mother.

"The best part about Heni is that he has never complained having a different name. He strives to get better and stronger if only to make our mother proud." Said Tenten, a proud smile on her face.

"From what I have seen, he has great potential." Stated Kakashi, still leaning against the wall of the dojo.

"Arigato Hatake-san. I shall pass that on to my brother once he awakens. Now, I'm afraid I must get back to my team, before the names start to spin again."

"Good luck in your fight Tenten-san!" called Naruto as the girl walked away before he turned towards the screen in anticipation of the next fight.

If this fight was how it began, the surely there would be better fights to come.

X—X—X—X—X

Yosh!!! DONE!!! Now!!

REVIEW!!


	16. Chapter 16 : Team 7's fights

Awesome Eyes: Its Enthralling, :P

Karl Skywalker: Wow…. Nice guess… the first match up you mentioned WILL happen… but not in the preliminaries… and the reason I planned on it was not in order to free Hinata for the match up below… but because I felt that more emotion would be drawn if this happened…

Wyrtha: Just hang on until the end of the Chuunin Exams and you'll find out what happens to the younger two.

Alistor: Yeah, I know… I kinda like the name too… besides… it means I don't have to come up with one :P

Fire Avatar and Cerridwen-maiden: This chapter is for you

Pokeynater: Sorry, but Ino and Sakura are not gonna fight… but u'll see them both in this chapter.

Deadpeace6868: Hahaha… sorry man… no previews… coz even I don't have one…

Greybear32: Totally understand what you are saying… I just tend to get so caught in that, that my action work becomes lousy… so im trying to cut down on it.

KungFuTruffle: True, the council should hate him with a passion… but Itachi is now a missing nin, someone who might not listen to their reason… and not giving him the proper training or not even allowing an Uchiha to be a ninja might be taken the wrong way by Itachi… as such… the council has to make sure that Sasuke is given every chance so that Itachi knows that whatever happened, happened by Sasuke's devices alone.

Bleachzangetsu: Im sorry but no, those matches will not take place. However, Kyuubi is making an appearance in this chapter and from here on will be mentioned and talked about more often. As for the transformation… it will come sometime later… I just feel it is too soon since there has been little mention of the kyuubi till the last chapter.

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 16 : Sakura Versus Hinata

The names on the screen spun, everyone's eyes glued to it as it randomly sifted through the remaining candidates. Naruto's heart pounded as he looked at it. He wished that his name would be chosen soon, either his or Sakura's. In his opinion, the earlier you had to fight, the better your chances were of winning. There were two reasons for this. One was the fact that there was a larger range of opponents they could face, this would give them a better chance of being paired up with someone weaker. Of course, on the other hand it also meant that there would be a larger possibility of being paired up with someone stronger. The second reason was nerves. The more fights you had to watch, the more results you saw would make you much more nervous than if you were to watch them after your fight. And this was a game in which the teeniest bit of nervousness could tip the balance in your opponents favor.

There was a slight beep as the screen selected its first name. Haruno Sakura read the top of the screen. On the contrary to what he had thought earlier, this was the most stressful period of the whole Chuunin exams up till now. After all, there were lots of strong opponents that Sakura could be matched up with, most of all the Suna trio. From Team 8's eye witness information, the three from Suna would be the most challenging of opponents they would face. All Naruto could hope was for Sakura not to end up against one of them.

Sakura meanwhile, had already descended to the dojo floor and was waiting for the second name to stop rolling. She already had in mind who she wanted to fight and by the look in Hinata's eyes knew Hinata wanted it too. True, it would be one thing for her to defeat the Hyuuga heiress in a public battle. It would earn her fame, yet this was not the reason she wanted to fight Hinata now.

Within the last ten to twenty minutes, she had figured out, just how much Hinata wanted Naruto. Sakura didn't need a Byakugan to see how long Hinata had spent staring at her boyfriend and glaring at her. It was as if she had not even bothered to watch the battle taking place below. Sakura now knew that the only way to make sure Naruto would be truly hers was to beat the opposition in every single aspect. As a Kunoichi and as a lover and now was the time to prove to Hinata that Sakura was the better Kunoichi.

A second beep rang through out the dojo as the screen finally chose its second duelist. The smirk on Hinata's face as the name stopped answered all Sakura's questions. The both of them had finally gotten what they had wanted.

"Hyuuga Hinata, will you please come down to the arena?" Spoke Hayate.

The Hyuuga Heiress wasted little time, as she jumped off the balcony and onto the floor, behavior that already seemed unlike the quiet and timid girl.

"You are lucky this battle isn't in a public venue Hinata-chan." Said Sakura in a firm voice as she gave the other girl a smile that promised a lot of pain. "It will save you a lot of embarrassment."

"Talk less, fight more." Replied Hinata. "That is if you have let go of pruning yourself long enough to learn how to fight."

"Oh I'm not like you, princess. Hiding behind poles, scared to even express your feelings." Said Sakura with a laugh. "I take what I want and I'll do anything I have to keep it."

"Errr… umm… you two may start whenever you please." Said Hayate as he tried to make head or tail of what was happening.

X—X—X—X—X

Back in the stands, there was confusion among the Konoha ranks. "Is that even Hinata?" asked Ino. "She has, like, flipped her personality."

"People change when they are forced to fight for what they care about most." Replied Shikamaru.

"You mean they are fighting over him?" asked Kiba flabbergasted. "I thought Sakura liked Sasuke."

"Liked. Past tense." Stated Ino. "Sakura and Naruto have been going out together for weeks. Ever since their return from Wave."

"Even a bug will throw away all inhibitions when it is defending its mate. Haruno is simply staking territory that Hinata-sama has not staked. Now they shall fight over who's right it is to mate with him." Spoke Shino causing Kiba to look at him weirdly.

"You make it sound like this is some kind of large orgy." Said Kiba.

"Maybe not in that scale." Replied Shino. "But I do believe that the winner of this fight will someday claim Uzumaki as her mate."

Kiba shook his head deciding it would be best if he did not probe the subject any further.

"Man. I do not see what is so great about Naruto that he has two girls in love with him." whispered Kiba.

"Do not underestimate what he has contained within him, Kiba-san. Not all flaunt their true strength like the Uchiha."

This last sentence caused Shikamaru to whip his head towards Shino. Was it possible that even Shino had figured out that Naruto housed the Kyuubi?

"Do not worry, Nara-san. Uzumaki's secret is safe with me."

Shikamaru nodded. This would complicate things. He had not taken into account that another genin would find out about the Kyuubi. If word were to spread about what Naruto contained, things could get out of hand really fast. At least he could relax for now knowing that Shino had given his word about the secret being safe. If there was anything Shikamaru knew about the Aburame was that they never judged anyone from what they contained. After all, the Aburame were bug hosts as well.

X—X—X—X—X

Down in the arena, Hayate was becoming impatient. Neither of the girls had moved an inch since he had given the word go. But being a Jounin, he himself knew how important mind games were in a fight. Even the slightest opening could be taken advantage of and these two genin were looking for just that in each other. The reason he was becoming impatient was to see what these two had up their sleeves.

The first fight, since the match up had been announced, had seemed to him like a forgone conclusion. The result had seemed obvious, though he had expected the fight to be quick, the Uchiha dominating the whole match up. Yet things had not gone the way he had expected them to go. The younger nin had put up a proper fight, driving the famed Rookie of the Year into desperation and it was in this desperation that he had resorted to using the curse seal. Hayate couldn't help but wonder if they would have found out about him possessing one had it not been for Ubara.

At least now, this way, it could be taken care of before it got out of hand.

A movement from in front of him snapped Hayate back to his senses. Finally, one of them had decided to start things off.

X—X—X—X—X

After Hayate has given them the permission to start, Sakura had taken a step backwards. This fight would be tricky and she had known it before the match began. Being a bookworm, Sakura had obviously read upon the strengths and weaknesses of the Byakugan, Konoha's All Seeing Eye. It granted the wielder a 360 degree view as well as the ability to see the chakra coils of their opponents. This ability combined with their Taijutsu style, the Jyuuken, made them one of the most feared clans in the five shinobi nations.

The Jyuuken style was a style that used the tenketsu of one's body to force their chakra out of their body and into their opponents tenketsu, forcefully closing them and also the chakra pathways required to perform jutsu. This would prevent the opponent from using chakra and thus reduce them to civilian status . Though the effects of Jyuuken were temporary, it would take only a few seconds of having no chakra for a ninja to take your life.

It was also for this reason that Sakura had no plans of rushing into close combat, the Jyuuken being far more effective than the academy style taijutsu. Sakura had a plan. Something that could work against Hinata, but it meant that Sakura would have to come up with a few distractions in the first place.

"What are you waiting for Forehead Girl? Too scared to attack me?" taunted Hinata as she slipped into the Jyuuken stance signaling that she was ready for it to begin.

"Funny you should say that. I mean after all, it is me who has the boy YOU love. I should call you a chicken." She said one hand on her hip, as she faked looking at her nails.

Sakura had finally struck a nerve as Hinata rushed in her palm outstretched. Sakura nimbly pivoted, taking her body and any appendages out of Hinata's reach, slamming a back hand into the back of Hinata's head as she jumped away.

"Tut, tut. I never expected the Hyuuga Heiress to be so weak. Hoping he will be with you just for your title is it?" said Sakura in a melodical voice. Inside, she was disgusted with herself, that she was calling Hinata all these that in truth she did not want to say.

"I deserve him more than you do!" shouted Hinata as she rushed in again, this time a lot faster than she had before.

Sakura simply side stepped the open palm thrust, pulling Hinata's arm so that she could ram her knee into the Hyuuga's stomach. Hinata took advantage of this as she hit a couple of points in Sakura's arm, closing the tenketsu there.

"You, who beat him. You, who yelled at him. You, who rejected him every day in your entire duration in the academy. Do NOT deserve him at all!" screamed the usually timid girl as she let out a barrage of Jyuuken strikes all over Sakura's body.

Every word that the Hyuuga said brought fresh memories to the fore of Sakura's brain. Times when she would call him a baka, a dobe, even dead last. Times that she would hit him on the head for just being nice to her. Times when she would ignore and possibly hurt Naruto as he attempted to ask her on a date, so that she could follow her one time crush, Uchiha Sasuke.

It was these memories that caused Sakura to falter, that caused her to stop dodging Hinata's attacks and let them land as if they were her way of punishing herself for how she had treated the boy she now loved.

_**It isn't like you to give up you know? **_Spoke a voice inside her head, a voice that she had not heard for a long long time. A voice she had not heard since her graduation to genin.

_I thought you were gone._ Thought back Sakura as she struggled to get back on to her feet.

_**I am always here. Always a part of you. **_Replied her inner voice.

_Then why have you been so silent?_ She asked.

_**Because you have not needed me. Ever since you and him became team mates, ever since you started to take your own life into your own hands, ever since you started taking every matter into your hands. You have not needed me.**_

_Then why are you here now?_

_**Because that girl would not have bowed down to a few simple words. Because that girl started this relationship with the vow that she would make up for all the pain she had caused him. Because we made a vow, and you are forgetting it.**_

_What would you have me do?_

_**Stand up, fight for your man. Earn the chance to redeem yourself in his eyes and your own. Earn the chance to pave a happy life for him, alongside him every step of the way. Unlike that weak pathetic girl that watched from afar and did nothing while you at least tried.**_

That's right. She had tried, right? And she was still trying to make it up to him. Unlike Hinata.

_**That's my girl. Show her who truly deserves to be with him.**_

"You have no idea what he has been through!" came the final yell as Hinata's foot met with Sakura's cheek, sending the pink haired girl rolling away.

"You are right." Replied Sakura as she gingerly sat up, trying to find out which limbs could still use chakra. "I have no idea what he has been through before I became interested in him. And I even may have contributed to the pain that he has been caused through the years."

Sakura paused for a while as she looked up onto the balcony where he watched them from above. The blond hair, that contagious smile on his face as he looked down. Naruto made an act of raising his hand behind his head, his fingers signing the words. "Win or Lose, I love you."

"But, I can say more of myself than you can. I at least can say I have tried to make up for all the pain that I have caused him. I at least can say that I am still trying. Compared to you, who always stayed hidden, watching while others caused him all this pain and doing nothing for him in the end. Heck, the only reason you even admitted you like him is because I got together with him." She said as she stood up and dusted herself off as if nothing major had happened.

"Like you said Hinata, Less talk, More fighting. I bet I can still take you on with just one single hand." She said as she dug in the pouch before producing a couple of smoke bombs.

"Do you think a couple of smoke bombs will impair my vision, Haruno-san? Know that you are in my range of divination."

"Yahoo Hinata!" came Kiba's yell. "Show her what you are made of!"

Sakura threw the smoke bombs at Hinata's feet, as she felt the last of the chakra release itself from her weight seals. Running into the smoke at normal speeds, she headed straight for Hinata, who she knew would see her.

"Hakke: Rokujyuu Yonshou! (Gentle Fist: 64 strikes)"

By the time the smoke cleared, both girls were still standing, their backs to each other, a strange green glow around Sakura's hand.

A large cheer went up from Kiba and Akamaru as Sakura fell on to her knee, only to die down when blood spurted from all over Hinata's body.

"Proctor, this match is over." Called Sakura as she struggled to stay on her feet, Naruto immediately jumping down to support her.

Hayate looked over to Haku who was giving Hinata a thorough check up to confirm.

"She will live, though she will not be able to fight. The tendons used for her movement have all been cut. She will need the attention of a proper healing jutsu if she is to fight in the near future." Said the Chuunin as he stood up from where he had kneeled, signaling the stretchers bearers to come. Hinata's sensei, Kurenai, jumping down to walk alongside Hinata's stretcher.

Hayate sighed before he raised his hand and pointed towards Sakura. "Winner, Haruno Sakura."

"Can you walk?" asked Naruto as he let her lean on him.

"No." she replied, a mischievous smile on her face.

Naruto laughed, a laugh that most of the Konoha nin present had not heard before, a laugh that was at best, genuine from the boy. "Somehow, I feel that you are using this fight as an excuse to make me carry you." He said as he picked the girl up in his arms, bridal style.

"Maybe I am." Replied Sakura as he walked up the stairs, giving her more time in his arms.

"You should know that you don't need one to get me to carry you." He said as they reached Kakashi.

"I know, but it still feels good to have one."

On the other side of the balcony, the rest of Hinata's team were open mouthed.

"How?" stuttered Kiba. "How did Sakura beat her?"

The only ones to witness what had happened in the smoke other than Hinata and Sakura themselves switched off their Byakugan and remained silent, similar thoughts going through both their minds.

Fast!

X—X—X—X—X

After a five minute break, which Hayate called so that the floor of the dojo could be cleared of all the blood, the screen started scrolling names again, this time with fervor. It seemed as if the screen itself was looking forward to the coming matches.

It didn't take long for the first name to be selected. Yamanaka Ino. The Yamanaka's famed for their interrogation skills as well as their assassination tactics, mainly due to their family jutsu's that involved taking over others minds or switching bodies.

However, it was the second name that the screen picked that brought a lull over the entire dojo. The one and only, Uzumaki Naruto.

"Ino." Spoke Shikamaru. "You know you can't win this."

The blond girl nodded to her team mate. "But I have to at least try right? Can't lose to Sakura, can I? At least we both know that he won't kill me."

"One word of advice then, don't use your shintenshin." Said Shikamaru as the blond girl walked past him.

On the other side, Sakura had grabbed a hold of Naruto's pants. "Try not do destroy her, please."

The boy nodded and the two blonde's met on the dojo floor.

"One jutsu each, if we can't knock each other out then its strictly taijutsu from there on. Agreed?" said Naruto to which Ino just nodded.

"Good. You can have the first shot." He said before nodding towards Hayate.

"Third Match, Yamanaka Ino versus Uzumaki Naruto, Begin!"

Ino had known Shikamaru since they were babies, mainly due to the fact that their fathers, as well as Chouji's father were in the same team since Genin, the famed Ino-Shika-Cho trio. And with the time, she had come to learn that whenever Shikamaru gave you advice, it was good to listen, for he would never give bad advice or even without being sure of what would happen.

She looked at Naruto who stood patiently. One jutsu each, he had said and she had no idea what kind of jutsu's he had learnt since he had teamed up with Sakura. Sure, he wasn't too bright when he left the academy, but it was not a few moments ago that she had seen Sakura's improvement. The girl had survived a feared Jyuuken attack and come out the victor. This only raised more questions as to how much Naruto had improved.

Ino glanced up towards Shikamaru and mouthed the words, "I'm sorry" to him. Her neglection of ninja training for fawning after a useless crush had left her with little option but the shintenshin. The jutsu being the only one that could win her this fight.

Ino formed the single handseal required for her jutsu, aiming it at Naruto. "Well, here goes nothing. Shintenshin No Jutsu! (Mind Body Switch Technique)"

Shikamaru watched as Ino's body collapse, knowing that the girl's conscience was now somewhere in between her body and Naruto's. He only hoped that Ino would come out of it in one piece.

X—X—X—X—X

(Inside Naruto's mind)

The moment the technique hit Naruto, the white surrounding around Ino vanished, only to be replaced by a dark and gloomy atmosphere.

"Welcome to my mind, Ino." Came Naruto's voice, causing the girl to spin.

"Naruto! How are you even awake? What is this place?" she asked.

"This, Ino, is my mind." He said as he turned around casually looking at the surroundings. "Or at least it is where all consciousness apart from mine dwell as long as they are in my body."

"What… What do you mean?"

"**It means that you are not the only foreign conscience in his body."**

Ino jumped forward, quickly turning around and coming to face with what looked like a gigantic cage.

"Who… Who's there?" she asked, her voice trembling as she spoke.

Whoever the voice belonged to, it did not sound human at all. It was more demonic, evil and terrifying than a persons voice could ever be.

"Ino, meet Kyuubi. Kyuubi, meet Ino."

"K…Kyuubi?" she stuttered.

Ino gasped as large red eyes glinted through the darkness, the brown form of the Kyuubi finally becoming visible as it stepped forward.

"But… The Yondaime." She stuttered out, not quite able to firm complete sentences.

There was a loud but evil cackle from the fox.

"**Do you really think that a demon as powerful as me can be killed? You puny humans are having trouble killing the Ichibi, the weakest of us all, and you boast about killing me?"**

"Naruto, this is not funny. Please stop this." Said Ino.

"Stop what Ino?" asked Naruto.

"This genjutsu! This is supposed to be my jutsu attempt, not yours!" she yelled.

"This is your jutsu Ino. You are in my mind." Said Naruto as he walked away. "If you want proof, follow me."

The girl could only watch as Naruto walked away into the gloom deciding to follow him at the last moment. After all, it would offer her some comfort to know that he was there nearby if she were to face any surprises.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she caught up with the Jinchuuriki, yet he did not reply, instead opening a small steel door before stepping through it. Ino followed once the boy had gone through, the door closing and locking itself, making the Yamanaka Heiress jump in surprise.

"This is it." Came Naruto's voice. "This is my memory bank. One of my most guarded secrets next to the Kyuubi."

Ino turned around as Naruto spoke, the large screens that were on the wall grabbing her attention.

"In here, you can see any and all of the memories I have, starting from when I was very young."

One screen flashed white, before showing a young boy living in an orphanage, chased out of the dining room with a broom while the rest had their meals. Another screen showed the same little boy, rummaging through garbage bins, looking for left over meals.

"In here you can see all the pain and sorrow I have been through."

Another screen flashed, this time showing all the taunts and curses the villagers threw at him, one word causing Ino to flinch. The fourth screen showed the mobs chasing him, calling for the death of the 'demon', calling for revenge for their fallen family and comrades. A fifth screen showed Ino one particular memory, the memory of watching Sakura being hit by numerous senbon.

"In here, you can also see the joy and happiness I have felt over the years."

Memories of his time with the Hokage and Iruka flashed on to screens. His time used to play pranks on Konoha shinobi, to hang around with his academy mates such as Kiba and Shikamaru. Least but not last, the time he had spent with Kakashi and Sakura training, as well as the dates he had gone on with Sakura. One particular memory caught her attention. The most colorful one to pop up on the screens, Ino assumed that the color must show how fresh the memory was. The memory of Sakura kissing him after he had told her about the fox.

"In here, you will also see the times I have met with the fox as well as the number of times he has tried to take over me."

All the screens suddenly went blank, before they flickered all at once. Each of them displaying attempts during which the Kyuubi had tried to control his mind or convince him that he should just unleash all his power upon the village. Payment for how they had treated him. Attempts starting from when he was a mere four years old until last week. Yet, somehow, Naruto had not given in.

"You see, Ino. If a century old nine tailed fox cannot control my mind. What makes you think that you can?" he asked.

Ino found herself at a loss for words. Naruto was right. The Kyuubi was a century old demon, with tricks and techniques up his sleeve than no mere man could have. To make it worse, the Kyuubi was a demon fox, and foxes were known to be cunning and sly, using any and every trick possible to get what they wanted.

Ino finally realized why Shikamaru had asked her not to use the Shintenshin. He had not wanted her to find out about the Kyuubi. She assumed that he wanted to keep Naruto's 'condition' a secret for as long as he could. Ino smiled at Naruto as she put her hands to form a seal, only one word coming out of her mouth before she returned back to her body.

X—X—X—X—X

Back in the dojo, the genin were all becoming impatient. Naruto had made no moves since Ino had collapsed onto the floor.

"Why is he standing still?" Asked Kiba as he gripped the railing so hard that his knuckles were white. "He should be taking advantage of this."

"He can't." replied Kurenai. "The Yamanaka family use Mind control jutsus that can either confuse an enemy's body or even take control of another person's body. The Shintenshin or the Mind Body Switch Tenchique is a technique which effectively transfer's Ino's mind into the body of her opponents letting her take over for a short period of time."

"Wow." Breathed Kiba. "That is dangerous."

Yes it is thought Shikamaru, however, the chances of the Shintenshin succeeding is very slim as it is a very slow moving technique that can only travel in a straight line. If the opponent is aware enough, he can simply evade the jutsu by stepping to a side, using the time taken for the user's consciousness to return to her own body to effectively kill or even cripple Ino.

"Yes it is." Replied Kurenai once again. "I feel sorry for Uzumaki. To end up on the receiving end of the jutsu."

Shikamaru could not help but smile. It seemed that Naruto's plan was working. Even the Jounin sensei were starting to underestimate him. They would be in for a shock if they knew how much he had improved, for even Shikamaru had no idea how different the boy was since they had separated from the academy.

All eyes returned to the battle as Ino stirred, the blond haired girl slowly getting back to her feet. Ino looked at Naruto with saddened eyes.

"Alright. That was my chance. It's yours now. Make it quick." She said and Naruto nodded as he took a few steps forward forming hand seals as he moved.

"Fuuton Reppuushou (Wind Release: Violent Wind Palm)." Came the words, instantly causing Asuma to choke on his cigarette. The younger Sarutobi leaned over the railing just in time to see the dead last of the academy clap his hands together, forming a gust of wind so strong that it picked Ino up off the ground and slammed her into the wall.

The girl dropped to the arena floor a minute later, unconscious, the wind no longer strong enough to hold her against gravity. Asuma immediately jumping down to the floor.

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto." Voiced out Hayate.

Naruto was about to leave when Asuma called out to him. "Wait. Are you a wind user?"

Naruto simply nodded. Though it was his affinity, the Reppuushou was the only jutsu he had learnt and it too without proper guidance.

"Where did you learn that technique?" asked Asuma.

Where? "I found it in a scroll left outside my apartment when I came from my last mission."

Asuma nodded. "Thank you for your time, Naruto-kun."

Naruto was, for once, at a loss for words. Sure, Naruto knew that Asuma was the Sandaime's nephew and as such Naruto assumed that Asuma would have heard many a story about him when he was younger. But to think that Asuma, who had never even met him once personally, would include the affix of kun to the end of his name surprised him.

Naruto could only nod as he walked up the stairs, Asuma taking the opposite stairs with Ino in his arms. By the time Naruto had reached his team, the screen has started generating names again. At least now, Naruto would not have to worry about him or Sakura fighting. He felt Sakura's hand slip inside his before she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. There was no worry now that they both had moved on, safe as it were for now. All that was left for them to do was to watch and enjoy the rest of the preliminaries.

X—X—X—X—X

ALL right!! Another one done!!!

Review please!!


	17. Chapter 17: The fights continue

54842: Dude… it's a metaphor… the Kyuubi is really… ancient…

For those of you concerned… I do know Asuma is Sarutobi's son… but for the sake of the fic I need him to be Sarutobi's nephew…

Fire Avatar: Soon, soon….

Awesome Eyes: I'll let you know when I find out why :P

Crazyluffy: She did not open her tenketsu's… Hinata simply did not close the ones on one of Sakura's arms…

SFBKludge: rest easy… no one else will find out soon.

Animaman: Strictly NaruSaku bro…

iiWishUponAStar: Gaa-KUN? :O

Wyrtha: They did meet in the forest. :P right after they witnessed Gaara… I will not step into the pairing debate… it will take me forever…

KungFuTruffle: for your first part, refer to my answer to Crazyluffy… as for your second question I don't really know… I don't have plans for anything more than the next chapter… but I can at least tell you this… with Sakura… it had to be him to tell her… with Ino… he could just show… and not say a word himself… besides… Sakura's reaction would have helped him to judge her best friend's reaction.

Cerridwen Maiden: LMAO! Guess u don't like Hinata eh?

Emilbootanimefreak: No… can't have her a villain

X—X—X—X—X

**Without Uchiha Sasuke**

**Chapter 17:**

The excitement mounted in the dojo as the screen started scrolling names again, flashes of names quickening heart beats, causing grips to harden, knuckles to whiten, everyone in anticipation of their match.

It was during this anticipation that no one saw a certain red headed boy clutching at his head, everyone's eyes fixed on the rectangle of black that hung on the wall.

They weren't the only ones getting excited, thought Gaara as he watched everyone including his siblings watch the screen without even batting their eyes. His mother was getting excited too, the smell of blood waking her out of her slumber. Gaara could hear her voice as he stood on the railing, calling for blood and for death.

_We shall get our chance mother. _He said to her mentally. _When we do, you shall bathe in Konoha blood, I promise you._

Gaara would almost give anything right now for her to stop urging him to go mad in here. It was not that he didn't want it, he did. The first thing he wanted to do was to crush that pink haired genin. But he couldn't or he would ruin the plan as well as get Suna kicked out of the Chuunin Exams.

Yet, the voice would not go away. It had stirred as Gaara's own bloodlust grew by watching the Uchiha's fight. The very last member of the Uchiha clan loyal to Konoha having his face smashed in by no one other than his team mate. Though there was still too little blood for Gaara's liking, the match still had managed to get him excited.

However, it was the very second match that had given rise to the voices in his head. The match which the Hyuuga girl dominated, or the pink haired girl had let the Hyuuga dominate, had ended up with the Hyuuga on the floor. Another exciting match, but it was not the match that had excited him. No, it had been the ruthlessness and the efficiency with which the pink haired girl had destroyed the Hyuuga that had woken his mother up. The spraying of blood from the Hyuuga's limbs finally driving his mother into blood lust as well.

Now, the voices in his head were becoming louder as they all called for one thing. For him to go berserk in this very dojo, kill each and every man and woman, proving him not only to be Chuunin level but Jounin level as well.

The screen beeped as it chose its first name, causing the red head to smile. _Luck is on our side, mother. _He said to the voice. _It is our turn to fight._

Both Kankuro and Temari caught the crazed look in Gaara's eye as the boy sand sunshined down to the arena floor. Both of the siblings looked at each other as the same thoughts ran through their minds. Gaara's demon was awakening.

X—X—X—X—X

On the other side of the dojo, a blond boy and his team mate had their eyes fixed on the boy below. The boy that had caused the nin of Team 8 to flee from a possible confrontation. Naruto could only guess how strong the boy had to be if he were to scare both Akamaru and Kiba.

Akamaru and Kiba had been two among the few people that had actually bothered to laze around and play around with him during their academy days. Sure, you could not call them great friends, for they rarely were together after school hours. Kiba's clan did not like Naruto around. It was not that they hated him, most of their clan members such as Kiba's mother, Tsume and Kiba's sister Hana actually treated him quite well. No, the only reason was that the Kyuubi's smell caused their dogs to become nervous. Tsume had explained that it was not exactly the Kyuubi's smell that made the dogs uneasy, that it would happen if they smelt any fox. Naruto just assumed it to be something between Dogs and Foxes and as such did not inquire any further into the topic.

However, during his short time hanging around with Kiba, he had learnt some things about the dog boy, as Naruto loved to call Kiba, and his dog. The first was one of the simplest things in the world. Something that any Konoha nin would have to keep in mind about the Inuzuka clan. Their noses never lie. Though the Inuzuka could track a man within a mile, their dogs also had the ability to judge an opponents power just by smelling them.

The second was that Kiba and Akamaru were like brothers. Together since Akamaru's birth, Kiba being the one to raise and train Akamaru. Kiba would do almost anything for Akamaru, and Naruto knew that Akamaru would do the same for Kiba. This meant that if one of them wasn't afraid of something, that meant that the other would follow without hesitation. Yet this suna nin had been one who's smell had caused Akamaru to cower in Kiba's jacket. Strong enough that Akamaru had refused to come out of Kiba's jacket until they were a safe distance away from the Suna team.

"Something doesn't feel right about him." said Sakura as she looked at him.

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto.

"Those large black circles under his eyes, that crazed smile that is so different from his earlier stoic face." Replied Sakura.

"You forgot to mention that no one has ever scratched him on a mission." Pointed out Naruto.

"True. And the way he appeared near Sasuke? Even we did not detect him before he spoke." Said Sakura.

Naruto nodded. It had surprised him as well that he had not noticed the suna nin in the tree. After all, he thought of his nose as the second best in the business next to the Inuzuka noses.

"I don't know, Sakura-chan. But we need to find out. It gets scary once your own team mates are afraid of crossing you." He said as the screen selected its second name for the match up. Something was wrong, yet Naruto could not quite put his finger on it.

X—X—X—X—X

Dosu stared at the screen as his name appeared on it, his body frozen on the spot.

"Match Number four. Sabaku no Gaara vs Dosu." Came Hayate's voice as the proctor announced the match up. "Will the second participant come down to the arena?"

Dosu turned around and looked towards his sensei, the question clear in his mind. Orochimaru smiled as he spoke.

"Fight him Dosu-kun. Show him what you are made of."

Dosu nodded and started walking, taking the longer route to the floor. He had heard of Gaara's ability to control sand. The absolute defense that never let any attacks past the automatic sand shield that protected him, no doubt the work of the Ichibi no Shukaku. Worse, Dosu knew of Gaara's thirst for blood, choosing to absolutely crush any and every opponent he came across. Not even one nin had survived crossing paths with the demon container.

Dosu slowly climbed down the stairs, preparing himself for his death. It was sure that he would die, but it would not be that easy. Dosu would give it his all in this fight for his life. The look towards his Otokage, the man that had brought them all together and given them asylum and a home, had been one of hope. Dosu had been hoping Orochimaru would allow him to forfeit this match. It would increase Oto's chances of conquering Konoha in the coming attack. Yet, his Otokage had not allowed him. The sentence he had spoken had been short, the same sort of sentence a Jounin sensei would have given to his proper student. Yet, Dosu had heard the words that Orochimaru had not spoken out loud.

"We cannot allow Konoha to become suspicious of the link between us and Suna. Make sure they do not get wind of this." Echoed the Otokage's words in his head.

Orochimaru had specifically asked him to go and die in this round. Die so that their alliance would remain hidden, die so that the attack on Konoha would remain undiscovered for as long as possible. Dosu felt sad that he could not refuse Orochimaru's orders. He couldn't. Orochimaru had been the one to save him. Not from another nin, but from starvation and homelessness. Dosu and Kin, friends since they were small children had fled from their village after a small fight in which they had killed a total of five small children. A fight that had made them homeless and penniless, a fight that had made them outlaws and nukenin.

The two had lived off of the streets of other villages, stealing and resorting to raiding caravans. They would employ tactics such as Kin seducing the guards, leaving them open to Dosu's attacks. They were not proud of it, yet it had to be done in order for them to survive. Then had come Orochimaru, one day as they had finished raiding another caravan. He had offered them food, shelter as well as proper shinobi training. Only in return for their loyalty.

Dosu had heard of Orochimaru before he and Kin had joined the sound. They had heard stories about the experiments he had done on living shinobi. They had heard of the brutal ways he had killed both civilians and shinobi trying to get to the bottom of how things worked. They had heard of the reason Konoha had banished him. He had heard that Orochimaru would not stop in his search for immortality and Konoha's destruction, using any and every means necessary. Yet, he had pushed these thoughts aside when he had joined Oto, thinking them as rumors spread by Konoha and every other Orochimaru haters.

Yet, as he walked to stand in front of the host of the One tailed Raccoon, he finally realized what kind of a man Orochimaru was. He had found it weird that it was only his team that Oto had participated in the exams from the eight genin teams in Oto. Now he knew why it was only his team. It was only his team that Orochimaru found dispensable for the moment. The other teams strong enough to cause Konoha damage during the attack.

He hoped that both Kin and Zaku would realize what was happening before they faced their own deaths. He hope that the both of them would live long and happy lives. Dosu heard Hayate signal for them to begin, shedding his first and last tear for his team mates as he ran to meet his death.

X—X—X—X—X

Gaara stood still as Dosu rushed at him like a madman rushing towards his own death. The red head looking at the Oto nin with the crazy smile on his face. Gaara only hoped that this opponent would be as strong as the ones he had seen fight.

Gaara stood unfazed as Dosu vanished, reappearing behind the red head as he attempted to deliver a kick to the back of Gaara's head, the sand immediately leaping out of the gourd to protect him. Dosu vanished as the sand tried to grab a hold of his ankle, he knew that being caught in it would be his death.

The Oto nin appeared again, this time above the Suna nin, hoping to land a heel blow on him, yet again the sand intervened. So this is the legendary absolute defense eh? Thought Dosu as he kept disappearing and reappearing, trying to land a single blow on the still form of Sabaku no Gaara.

The older Oto nin leapt back a safe distance as he stopped for a thought. He had one advantage, one weapon that stood a chance of hitting the Jinchuuriki. Yet, he was scared to use it. His sound device used the air resonating through it to create waves that would disorient or even damage an opponent. It was his one way of getting to people behind solid objects. In theory, he knew it should work wonders against this particular opponent. Yet, he also knew that it would take a short moment for the waves to actually be generated and directed towards Gaara. The tricky part was that he would have to keep contact with the sand just a little longer than he would normally like to.

Dosu leapt back as the sand rushed in, calmly avoiding its attempt to grab his leg. He was thankful to Kami that it was slow. He did not understand how so many nin had died against such a slow weapon. Dosu gritted his teeth and set his mind. If Gaara's sand control was this slow, it increased his chances of getting away after the blow and there was no way he would know unless he attempted it.

Dosu took a deep breath and steeled himself before he shunsihined, leading with an elbow strike that was once again blocked by the sand. The oto nin didn't disappear this time, instead pivoting in his heels as he attempted to backhand Gaara across his face with his sound device. Yet, his arm never reached Gaara, being stopped in its tracks as the sand caught his shouder.

Dosu's eyes widened. He had been led on the whole match. Gaara's sand was not slow at all, as this feat had shown. Gaara simply had not sent it at high speeds. Dosu struggled to become free of the sand as his eyes watched more particles coming towards him. It would be all over if they managed to cover his body. Yet, there was nothing the Oto nin could do, the sand had too strong a grip on him.

Fear took over the Oto nin as he felt the sand slowly covering his body, panic gripping him as he struggled in vain. He would have begged for mercy had it not been for the strand that had covered his mouth muffling any words that he could have said. The spectators could see the steady stream of tears falling down Dosu's one uncovered eye before even it was covered by sand.

Dosu's life ended in a massive spray of blood as the sand crushed his body as if it were nothing. The only movement Sabaku no Gaara made during the fight being the closing of his fist signaling the end of the Oto nin.

X—X—X—X—X

Gaara noticed the reduction of traffic inside his brain as he felt Dosu's bones break underneath the pressure of his sand. He felt his mother, along with the other voices that randomly popped up in his head soften as the sand absorbed the blood that seeped out of Dosu's body. He felt himself calm down along with them, their blood thirst quenched for now.

Contrary to what everyone thought, Gaara's sand was but an extension of himself and not something he controlled like Kankuro's puppets. If he chose to, Gaara could control the sand much like he could control his arms, with simple thoughts from his mind. He could feel and direct everything the sand did much like his hands.

Gaara had felt Dosu's bones crack and he had felt them ground into small sand like particles no longer the solid bones they had been a few moments ago. He literally felt the blood spurt from Dosu's body, soaking the sand, spraying what the sand could not absorb out into the arena. He felt Dosu's final twitch, a movement of his right arm which Gaara assumed to be the attack the Oto nin had planned.

Yet it was not the kill, nor the manner of the kill that was the most satisfying sight for the red headed boy. It had been the silence through out the stadium and the looks of horror in the eyes of the participants that had satisfied him most. The ones he savored the most being of his brother and sister as he rejoined them by his sensei.

He knew only one thing was going through each and every mind at the moment, a prayer to Kami wishing that it would not be them who met the sand demon in the finals, and he was not far off.

X—X—X—X—X

Naruto watched the ending of the battle with widened eyes. He had imagined the red headed suna nin to be powerful yet he had not expected him to so easily kill the Oto nin. He now knew Gaara's strength. All he would need to find out was the Suna nin's weakness.

X—X—X—X—X

The silence in the dojo ensued, the occupants of the balconies still stunned by the brutality that Gaara has shown in crushing his opponent, literally. The sound of the first beep went unnoticed to most but a few. Hayate, the examiner, whose mind had immediately moved on to the task at hand. Temari, the Sand Kunoichi, hoping for her fight next and her other brother Kankuro, who's name had been the first to be chosen.

The painted boy immediately jumped off of the balcony, half with eagerness to show his skill, the other half eager to get away from his bloodthirsty younger brother. It was in this eagerness that he had forgotten to bring his bundle alongside him.

Little would the onlookers know that this had been a ploy on his behalf, one that would cause his opponent to underestimate him and possibly win him the match, one that may have worked better if it had not been for his sister who flung the bundle over the railing and at him.

"Oy!" she yelled. "You forgot something!"

Kankuro felt the wind battering against the bandages as he accelerated towards the ground and silently cursed Temari for not feeling the difference in weight. The puppeteer himself knew that his puppet, Karasu, weighed a third less than he did but apparently his sister had not and thus had failed to notice that she was flinging him over the railing instead of his puppet who he had already made descend.

A quick flick of his wrist and the thin chakra string that attached his finger to Karasu grew taut, a hidden signal causing the wooden puppet to jump backwards and catch him as if he himself were the puppet. Another pull on another string caused the puppets head to turn towards Temari, while one of its hands raised itself to give her a salute of a rude kind.

There was a slighter second beep as the board chose his opponent, a loud whoop of joy erupting from within a Konoha team as the chosen adversary jumped up and down. Kankuro heard the words "Time to kick some ass." From the hooded Konoha nin as he jumped down, his white dog still tucked into his jacket.

Of all the people to be paired up against, he had had to be paired up with an Inuzuka which he considered to be the toughest opponent he could ever face in the preliminaries. Not because the Inuzuka was the strongest from all the Konoha nin, Kankuro knew that Kiba wasn't. No, it was due to the fact that only the Inuzuka could fight him on fair terms, two on two, the Inuzuka and his dog against Kankuro and Karasu.

Kankuro knew that this would be a very tricky fight. He had already lost his numbers advantage the moment the screen has selected Inuzuka Kiba. Not only were the numbers even, but Kiba also had an advantage. The Inuzuka's nin dog could act independently alongside the close combat trained nin while Kankuro would always have to pull Karasu's strings not to mention that he was pretty weak hand to hand. It would all depend on who managed to take out who's partner first.

X—X—X—X—X

Hayate didn't bother speaking out this time. The proctor could already see the longing to get underway in both the participants eyes. The earlier fights had taken their own sweet time themselves and these two were almost at the end of their patience for their turns. And so, a chop of the hand was all that Hayate did in order to signal the beginning of the preliminary match.

The Jounin watched as the suna nin rushed in towards the Inuzuka, low and with his large bundle upon his back. The Konoha duo simply leaped backwards, Kiba forming some hand seals as he back flipped.

"Jyuujin Bunshin! (Human Beast Clone)" yelled Kiba the moment Akamaru landed on his back, causing Kankuro to stop Karasu as the Konoha nin was covered in smoke.

The smoke cleared soon after and only made it much harder for Kankuro. Now, he was looking at two Kiba's instead of one, he could not tell, by chakra nor looks which one was the real one or which one was Akamaru.

"Gotcha confused?" taunted Kiba as he hunched animalistically, Akamaru still on top of him. "Well, I'm not. I know which one is you!"

The two Kiba's launched themselves into the air with a yell of "Tsuuga!" turning into two massive drill like whirlwinds as they each headed towards Kankuro, causing the puppeteer to immediately yank Karasu back.

The puppeteer emerged from the bandages as soon as the two attacks collided with the concrete, showering him with little bits of it.

"So you finally came out eh?" came Kiba's voice as both he and Akamaru emerged from the dust without as much as a scratch on them. "You can't fool them you know. Especially not when one of you smells like wood." Said the Konoha nin as he tapped his nose.

"Smell this!" yelled Kankuro, through gritted teeth as Karasu launched a smoke bomb from its elbow. The puppet was already moving by the time the smoke covered the dojo floor, two knives poking out of slits in its hands as it rushed the smoke, hoping to impale either one of the Konoha two.

A desperate move, Kankuro knew, but he also knew that he needed to take out either Kiba or Akamaru for him to have a fighting chance against the two. He was already cursing himself for not bringing Kuroari along to this exam. He would have loved to have two puppets for this very fight.

A drill broke through the smoke, heading straight for the puppeteer. This was what he had known would be tricky, fighting these two. His ability to dodge while using his puppet to attack was virtually nonexistent and it seemed as if the Konoha nin had already known that.

A flash of black pulled Kankuro out of harms way a second before the drill hit the floor where the puppeteer had stood, chipping away at the floor. The form of Karasu left with little time to attack as two drills followed the puppet and its puppeteer.

It would remain a game of cat and mouse, thought Kankuro as long as the four of them remained in the fight, him and Karasu being the mice in this particular fight. The victor would be the one that managed to take out the opponent's partner, the tables immediately turned on the one with lesser number. Yet, Kankuro still had not come up with a way to actually take out or restrain either of the two.

Kankuro hadn't come to the preliminaries with Karasu fully outfitted. Some of the outfits he had brought had been only for the invasion, and he had not thought that there would be a preliminary round. All he had on Karasu were the basic tools, kunai, shuriken and smoke bombs, nothing that would be considered effective against the Tsuuga's the Inuzuka was throwing at him. The drills were simply too powerful for Karasu. A head on hit and Karasu would fall apart like a child's block tower and Karasu wasn't built to be put back together in such a short time. But maybe Karasu could survive a hit, if the puppet didn't take it head on but rather at an angle. The only way to find out would be to attempt it, but first, Kankuro would have to stop running.

Another compartment in Karasu's arm opened, this time emitting a purple fog of gas. The fog that Karasu was equipped with was non-lethal, a sleeping gas in effect, used only for knocking out opponents or sometimes even team mates. It had been their contingency in case had Gaara lost control of his demon and with his brothers thirst for blood satisfied, there was very little chance of that happening within the remaining preliminaries.

Kankuro had not expected Kiba or Akamaru to fall for it but rather was hoping that it would delay the two nin long enough for him to attempt to begin his own chain of attacks. Kankuro also had not expected Kiba to barrel straight through the fog, dispersing what gas Karasu had released. The puppeteers mind ran through the list of tools he had installed once again, looking for something that would work unseen and coming up with nothing.

A lack of movement from the Konoha nin led the puppeteer to send his puppet into the gas cloud, searching for them and hoping to press the attack. A sudden movement from his right brought to notice a whirlwind heading for him, this time spinning faster than ever before. It was this Tsuuga that prevented him from noticing the second Kiba that had silently snuck up on the puppeteer until the Inuzuka had caught him in his arms.

Now, all that the suna nin could do was watch the first Kiba close in and wonder if the nin would really go through with the hit knowing that his partner would get injured along with him. A second was all it took for Kankuro to get the answer, the puppeteer barely able to bring his puppet in between the attacking dog and himself before the whirlwind hit him, the audible cracking and splintering of wood echoing through the dojo.

Kankuro opened his eyes and was slightly relieved to see that the second Kiba had stopped the moment Karasu had been destroyed. He was being given a chance to withdraw from the fight unharmed and Kankuro wasn't going to let the opportunity pass.

"Proctor. I yield." Spoke the Suna nin as he hung his arms as a sign of no resistance.

"Good move." Came Kiba's voice from behind him as the Kiba in front of the puppeteer transformed into the small white dog the Inuzuka nin called a partner.

"Winner, Inuzuka Kiba." Came the announcement as both participants walked up the stairs to their teams, the Suna genin neatly avoiding the gazes of his team. He knew that it was a big blow to his pride, especially when his brother had so easily demolished his Oto opponent. Yet, Kankuro knew he had made the correct decision in conceding the fight. After all, he could always build a new puppet within a month whereas a broken bone would have taken much longer to heal. And the invasion, was only a month away.

X—X—X—X—X

Temari watched as Kankuro walked up to them, choosing to watch her brother as the face painted boy stood behind Gaara and their Sensei Baki. It would all be up to her now. To show the world that even though the suna nin did not have shinobi in large numbers, that they made up for that in quality. The female Suna nin smiled to herself. There was no reason to get ahead of herself. There was no reason to worry. Until the screen glowed her name, Sabaku no Temari would relax. Her time would come. Soon.

X—X—X—X—X

Uzumaki Naruto looked around the Dojo, slowly picking out the genin who hadn't fought in the preliminary rounds, thanking Kami that his fight was over.

Lee, Neji nor Tenten of Team Gai had fought their match ups. Him against any of them would have ended up in a long drawn out battle and Naruto was in no way keen to show all of the tricks he had up his sleeve. His Reppuusho had been a slip of mind, something that he had unknowingly used in his search for a jutsu that would not hurt Ino.

Except for Ino whom he had fought, Team Asuma were still in line for their matches as well. Even though Naruto considered Chouji to be an easy match mainly because Naruto knew the Akimichi family moves. Yet he also knew not to underestimate Chouji for if taken easy, he would be one to quickly take advantage of any openings. Shikamaru on the other hand, was downright tactical. He was probably the only genin from his year that Naruto did not want to end up matched up against. There was little to no data on the lazy pineapple haired boy, yet Naruto knew that Shikamaru would be one to be wary about.

The only other Konoha nin to not fight was Hisemi, the Hyuuga with the not so pale eyes. Naruto knew little to nothing of his skills, except that most likely, as all the Hyuuga, he also used the Jyuuken style to fight.

That brought the list down to three fighters. Temari the Suna nin, whom Sakura guessed to be a wind user. Naruto had wondered how Sakura had known, if not for the large fan that the girl carried around being such a give away. And last but not least, the two Oto nin, one of whom looked so injured that he couldn't possibly fight. Most people would have questioned as to why he had not withdrawn from the preliminaries, but to Naruto the answer was quite obvious. The Oto nin had something up his sleeve.

The screen beeped once as it chose the name of the first fighter, Abumi Zaku.

"Does anyone know what happened to his arms?" Asked Naruto as the male Oto nin pulled one of his arms out of the sling he wore on his neck, readying himself for the battle.

"Looks like as if they were pulled out of their sockets." Said his girlfriend as she too watched the Oto nin flex his hand and arm.

"By whom?" Prodded Naruto, curious.

"My guess would be Sasuke." Interrupted Kakashi, causing the two genin to look at him as if they were asking him to continue. "He would be the only one physically strong enough to do such a feat, apart from the both of you. With his curse mark seal activated, it would be possible. Besides, I do not think that the Suna boy would have settled just for that."

Naruto nodded. He had seen the curse seal at work and now he had a name to go along with the power. Naruto could not help but notice how aptly the foul looking marks and chakra were named the Curse seal.

The screen beeped a second time and Naruto saw a smile flash across the face of a fellow Konoha genin all the way on the other side. Team Gai had finally gotten their first match in the preliminaries and it seemed as if Tenten could not wait to get it over with.

Naruto noticed Kakashi walk over to the railing and lean on it casually. It didn't take him long to follow his sensei, the blond boy instead choosing to hang his legs through the bars in the railing as he sat on the floor. One thing Naruto knew for certain. It would be interesting to see how the strongest genin team in Konoha performed against their opponents.

X—X—X—X—X

"Abumi Zaku from the Sound against Higurashi Tenten from the Leaf. You may begin." Stated Hayate with the traditional chop of his hand signaling go.

"You know." Spoke Zaku as he pointed his free arm at the Kunoichi standing in front of him. "I could hold you partly responsible for what happened to my arms. Don't think I will take it easy on you."

Tenten could only scoff at the Oto nins remark. "Take it easy on me? Sure. I'll even let you start this match off with your Zankuuha." Said the Konoha nin as she stood with her hands on her hips as if she was waiting for him to proceed.

Zaku grinned. He had thought this girl bright, but it seemed as if she was not as bright as he had thought her to be. She had been one of the few Konoha nin to witness his jutsu and he knew that she should know how much destruction it caused by now.

The Oto nin angled himself as he aimed at the girl making her the dead center of his attack so that there would be no way of escape. After all, she had never said that she would not dodge but that she would let him make the first move. Zaku hoped that this would be the only move of the match.

Zaku smiled as he slowly spoke the word, taking care to put pauses in between the syllables. "Zan-Kuu-Ha." Spoke the Oto nin as the pressurized wave of wind came out of the hole in his arm.

He watched the petite form of Tenten jump up into the air and silently cursed as he caught her lip movement. She was counting! He realized as his mind raced to come up with a plan to make her lose count.

Zaku's jutsus worked with pressurized waves, his chakra pressuring the air inside the tubes before he released it in the form of his Zankuuha. It required a short but certain amount of time for him to be able to compress the air into such a wave before he could use it again. And that was exactly what the girl was counting. The time it took for him to be able to use the Zankuuha after he had already used it.

A grin broke out across Zaku's face and Tenten frowned.

"Now, what makes you think I will let you count me down huh?" said Zaku as he looked her straight in the eye. This eye contact almost caused Tenten to miss the movement of his other arm.

The dark haired Konoha genin was only able to flip out of harms way as another Zankuuha sliced the space she had occupied not a moment ago.

Zaku ran at the girl, his better arm reaching for a kunai as he ran. Tenten allowed Zaku little time to attack as she unfurled a scroll sending countless number of throwing weapons at the Oto nin. Zaku was so busy dodging the weapons that he did not notice the ninja wire that was attached to each and every single one of these weapons.

The Oto nin stopped running, immediately raising both his arms and yelling out "Zankuukyokuha! (Extreme Decapitating Air Waves)" towards the still incoming projectiles. The massive air wave that was released took Tenten by unawares, slamming her into the wall much like Naruto's Reppuusho did to Ino. Tenten hit the floor groggily, making a mental note to one day thank Gai for their tough training sessions everyday, apparently the workouts were of some use after all.

The Konoha genin eyed Zaku as she slowly started pulling out some weapons that she had been hit with. "Nice move. Didn't expect that one." She said as she pulled out the last kunai.

"Now it's my turn." Finished Tenten as she pulled on the strings she had attached to her weapons, pulling them out of the ground and into the air.

Zaku could not help but watch open mouthed as the weapons surrounded him. He knew there was no way out of this, his Zankuuha nor his Zankuukyokuha would take out all the weapons that were aimed at him. Zaku gritted his teeth and looked at Tenten firmly. There was only one thing left to do. Even if it killed him, he would make sure that his opponent never made it to the next round either.

With one last glance at the remainder of his team, Zaku abruptly brought up both his arms and released another Zankuukyokuha at Tenten before the weapons pierced his body and darkness claimed him. Meanwhile, the Zankuukyokuha hit Tenten head on, the Konoha nin channeling chakra to her feet in the hopes of keeping herself glued to the floor, the weapons that had been hit by the pressurized wave heading towards her, cutting her all across the body. It took all of Tenten's concentration to stay on the floor, the wave still able to push her backwards even with her efforts.

The Konoha Kunoichi was barely able to stand when the wind died down, blood soaking her outfit from the numerous cuts and gashes her own weapons had caused her. She knew all she had to do was to stay on her feet till she was announced the winner, yet it was so hard to do.

"Winner, Higurashi Tenten." Said Hayate, a bit bored that all he had to do was to announce the match ups and the winner and no other role in the preliminaries. It was only Hyuuga Neji that noticed the slight smile that formed on Tenten's face before she collapsed onto her knees, the sensei's and the medic nin rushing onto the field immediately.

Maito Gai, Tenten's Jounin sensei, smiled at his pupil as she was carried away on the stretcher towards the infirmary, giving her his trademark thumbs up with his toothy smile. Tenten knew she had made her sensei proud, racking up the first win for their squad. Now it was all up to Neji and Lee to carry on their teams winning form and she didn't doubt the two's ability to perform up to her expectations.

Things were very different for Zaku, though. He had had a better match up than Dosu, one that Orochimaru felt the genin could have and should have won easily. If only Zaku had not been so lax, he would have won. If only he had unleashed the Zankuukyokuha sooner than he had, then he would not have allowed the Konoha girl time to surround him with all those weapons.

"Well, maybe you are not as useless as you proved to be." Spoke Orochimaru in no one to particular. "Atleast, something good can come out of you when I actually take your life."

Behind Orochimaru, Kin could not help but shiver at the words that had come out of her sensei's mouth. Now, after Zaku's loss and her sensei's reaction, she wondered if they were ever meant to come out of the exams alive.

X—X—X—X—X

:D yayyy! Chapter 17 is done! Heheh. I know I know. But please bear with me. I just spent the better of the last month moving countries so I can begin my Bachelors degree and now that I am in a foreign country I hope to have more free time that I can actually devote to writing. Well, anyways….

Review!


	18. Chapter 18: The Prelims End

**Without Uchiha Sasuke**

**Chapter 18 **

Kin Tsuchi stood in the balcony behind her sensei, sweating profusely, her mind racing with thoughts about the match ups ahead. Dosu was dead, Zaku would surely be unable to fight anytime soon. The amount of recognition the village of the Sound got would all depend on her match up and how she performed and she knew that she was none of the fighters her team mates were.

Then there was her sensei, the man who had sent Dosu to his death, knowing what kind of strength the Suna nin possessed as well as the man who somehow planned to take Zaku's life himself. She would have understood him sending Dosu down to fight the Suna nin. It could easily be considered a matter of village pride, having one of their three only contestants withdraw from a fight that could make their strength known through out the shinobi world could easily have a detrimental effect on the growth of their village. But the words she had heard him speak after the loss of Zaku, now that, she could not understand.

Any sensei would have been disappointed after Zaku's loss, even Kin was disappointed. Even she had felt that it was a fight he could have easily won, had he fought for the win from the start, had he gone in to the fight with all guns blazing. His so well planned unveiling of his trump card had been the reason for his downfall and the reason for his defeat. Yet, she could not understand the reason for why her sensei would want to take Zaku's life. More than her worry for Zaku, she know knew that she herself would have to be very wary of him after her fight. Even if she won or lost, Kin now knew that she could not trust her sensei to bring her out of the exams alive. She now knew that he had put them in the exam with other plans in mind than their promotion to Chuunin level and she would soon find out what these other plans were one way or another.

X—X—X—X—X

The board started scrolling again, with eight names to choose. Four more fights before the preliminaries were over, four more fights before the match ups for the final tournament would be decided. It was already obvious to everyone where the majority of the fighters were coming from, one of the Suna nin as well as two Oto nin already out of the race.

The Sandaime Hokage sat in his chair overlooking the dojo with a smile on his face. He had considered Konoha lucky for so many teams making it into the preliminaries as well as suffering no losses inside the Forest of Death. Yet, the progress of the fights and the results that his genin had brought had put a smile on his face and made him proud to be the leader of such a talented group of genin. He was proud of the results each and every one of them had brought even if they had been on the wrong end of the victory.

It had proven to him and the ninja of Konoha that the Will of Fire the generations of shinobi had carried grew strong within the ninja that would someday take over the rule of Konoha. It had also proven to him that he need not worry about the security or the strength of Konoha in the case of his death. It was obvious to the Sandaime that Orochimaru was planning some kind of attack on him or the village of Konoha and the Hokage knew that it would take every ounce of strength that his aged body had in order to stop his student's plans. Sarutobi could only hope that Orochimaru was stopped before he caused too many casualties.

X—X—X—X—X

The top row of the board stopped, the letters forming the name of Sabaku no Temari as they solidified onscreen. The blond haired girl gulped as she took the fan off of her back, unfurling it and throwing it into the air. The Suna Kunoichi paused for a moment before she jumped onto her fan, letting it glide her to the dojo floor, her eyes on the board waiting for her opponents name to be chosen. Though Temari was fully focused on the screen, Kankuro's little jab of "Show off." Did not pass her attention.

Sabaku no Temari did not consider her entrance a flashy move, The eldest of the three Suna nin considered it to be more intimidating than showing off. It would give her opponent a bit more of an idea on her mastery of wind and how fluent she was at her fans use. And this would make whoever was chosen a bit more cautionary about the fight, allowing Temari a slight edge on them. It had worked for her in the past, so there was little reason for it to fail now.

A slight click echoed through the dojo as the screen chose Temari's opponent, and Naruto had to wonder if it was just him or if the board had stopped beeping. However, a loud yell from the opposite balcony broke the male blond genin out of his train of thought.

"Alright Lee! Go and show them that the fires of youth burn strongly inside you!" Yelled a Jounin in a green leotard, his bowl cut hair and thick eyebrows sure to stand out in any crowd.

"But Gai-sensei, my opponent is a girl. I can't hit girls. It will extinguish my fires of youth!" exclaimed a mini version of the Jounin with exactly the same bowl cut and eyebrows. Naruto could only slap his forehead as Gai frowned, trying to think of a way out of the tricky situation. As Naruto had found out, The Flames of Eternal Youth were all that mattered to the two and they would not be able to do anything against it.

"Can't they do anything without screaming about their flames of eternal youth?" asked Sakura as she sat down beside Naruto.

However, it was Kakashi that replied to the pink haired girl instead of her boyfriend.

"Well, at least we get to be the only Konoha team that has had all their genin win their fights." Said the one eyed Jounin, his genin wondering why on earth the Jounin had spoken so loud.

It was not until they heard the scream of "Lee!" that they turned their attention from their sensei to the other.

"We must not lose to our eternal rivals! You must win this fight! Even if it means diminishing your flame of eternal youth!" exclaimed an over excited Gai.

"Hai Gai-sensei!" yelled back Lee as he rammed his fist into his own palm before jumping down on to the dojo floor where he took his usual ready stance.

Naruto could see the determination in Lee's eyes. This would be over quick.

X—X—X—X—X

Temari stared at her opponent for a minute, wondering what kind of freak she was going to fight. Those eyebrows, she thought as she shivered at the sight of them, they seemed as if they were a part of a different being, so alien on Lee's face. She decided that she better not get started about his bowl cut, she would be able to go on for hours and wouldn't even notice when he attacked her.

Temari readied herself as Hayate raised his hand. It had not been long ago that she had learnt that the most eccentric ninja were most often the most dangerous, their ways and style just a distraction to make their prey underestimate them. She knew by the look in Lee's eyes as well as the muscle that was very well hidden under the suit that he was no ordinary ninja and that he was probably a taijutsu based fighter. There was no way she could take any moment of the fight easy, she would need to go full out from the beginning if she wanted to win.

The chop of the hand came without any announcement from Hayate, Temari immediately fully unfurling her fan as she swung it, producing a mini tornado that sped at Lee. Temari saw the boy disappear the moment she unleashed her tornado, appearing to her side with a kick aimed at her face. A quick rotation brought her fan in between Lee's foot and her face, preventing the green boot from sending her flying. The vibrations from the impact as well as the speed with which he attacked enforced her belief that he was mainly a taijutsu user.

Lee vanished again, this time appearing on her other side, a punch heading for her. Temari leapt back knowing that she could easily keep up with him. After all, she had been the only one of her family that had also trained herself in taijutsu along with her medium ranged wind jutsu. Not that Gaara needed it, she added as an after thought.

Temari landed a few feet away to find Lee standing there unwinding his bandages. Her close proximity to the balcony allowed her to over hear Naruto's words at the sight.

"He's going for the Lotus so soon?" asked the blond boy to which neither Sakura nor Kakashi replied, leaving the Uzumaki to wonder at Lee's actions.

"Gomen Temari-san." Said Lee as he let the beginning of his bandages fall to the floor. "I cannot allow this fight to go any longer. There are more ninja who wish to have their turn."

The Konoha genin did not let Temari reply, instantly vanishing from his spot and appearing above her with a downward kick. Temari lifted her fan to block, spreading her legs to allow them to cushion the hit. She had felt the strength behind his kicks earlier and knew that it would be a problem if she let any of them hit. But it was not going to be any problem if he kept attacking her with the same speed. Temari had been the only one in her team to train herself in proper taijutsu as well as close quarters combat using her fan and this speed was something that she knew she could keep up with.

Lee vanished again, this time reappearing behind her as he swung his fist at her back. Temari wheeled around, her fan in a blocking position only to find that the Konoha nin was gone. Temari's eyes widened as she held her fan horizontal, the punch that was supposed to hit it not coming anymore. A flash of green from under the fan alerted her to his reappearance yet at such close proximity, Temari knew there was nothing she could do.

Lee's kick hit Temari square on the cheek, sending her flying into the air, the blond haired girl already unfurling her fan to counter his next move. She had already seen Sasuke use the same beginning move and knew that Lee's next step would be to use the Shadow Leaf Dance. The blond haired Suna nin turned mid air, swinging her fan and releasing a very strong gust of wind at the point where she assumed Lee would appear. Yet she was surprised once again to find that he was not there.

A sharp jerk yanked her arm backwards, the fan closing as a noose made of bandages closed tight. An additional pull yanked her weapon out of her hand and into the arms of Rock Lee who jumped up into the air to catch it.

Temari and Lee landed a fair distance from each other, the Suna nin trying to come up with a way to get her fan back. Even though she had trained in taijutsu, she knew she was no master of it as Lee was. Taijutsu had never been one of her strengths. She had never had to face a situation in which she did not have her fan, her brothers always there to prevent anyone from getting so close to even attempt it. Yet here, on this very floor, she had found another weakness of her own, one that she knew she would not have noticed had she always fought alongside her team. It was a weakness that she decided she would have to train once the exam was over.

Temari leapt back as fast as she could as the form of Lee vanished from in front of her. The green clad boy still able to keep up with her movement with such ease that he was still able to attack her from several directions before she landed. Temari could feel the after effects of the blows as she landed, both her arms raised to her left to block the next kick coming her way.

"Konoha Senpuu!" yelled Lee as he slammed his leg into the block with full force. The Suna Kunoichi was no where as fast as he was, but she had better reactions than he did, instinctively raising her arms to block kicks and punches that would normally have hit their mark. But Lee was not looking to avoid the blocks anymore. He had decided that if she was so good at blocking, then he would have to break through that block in order to get to his mark and that was exactly what he was doing.

Sabaku no Temari skidded backwards a few feet, the impact of the kick pushing her away from him. The girl could not help but wince as she felt her bone slightly give buckle under the force. His kicks as well as his punches had increased in strength and Temari felt that he could have done more if he had wanted to. Their mission and the invasion flashed through her mind, the reason they had come to the exams in the first place, the destruction of Konoha.

A green flash appeared next to Temari and she felt one of her legs swept from under her. The quick appearance as well as her momentary laps of concentration prevented her from rolling to a side, giving Lee the time to bring his leg down on hers, heel first. The sound of the suna Kunoichi's bones snapping rang throughout the dojo, some of the onlookers wincing at the scream from the girl.

The Konoha genin slowly walked away, standing a fair distance from her with her fan still in his hands, as if he wanted her to stand up and walk over to him. Temari, however, was in no position to move at all. The pain of her broken leg lancing through her body as if electricity was running through her nerves. Temari felt hot tears streak down her cheek as she tried to bear the pain. If there was any chance that she would play a role in the destruction of Konoha, she now knew that it was all gone. The girl glanced up as Haku ran over to her before examining the damage. The new Konoha medic nin looked up to the proctor and shook his head, signaling that Temari was no longer able to fight.

"Since Sabaku no Temari is no longer able to fight, I declare Rock Lee the winner of this match up!" said Hayate towards the crowd, the only response being Lee jumping up and down as he ran towards Gai for another one of their hugging bouts. Both Naruto and Sakura closed their eyes, begging for it to end soon. It was all they could do to avoid going over and pummeling the two identical sensei and student duo.

On the balcony, one Sabaku no Gaara was far from being happy. Not only had Kankuro lost his fight, but Temari had lost hers too and the both of them had lost to Konoha nin at that. In truth, Gaara was furious. It was them that were going to invade Konoha, it should be them that should be demolishing the Konoha nin, not the other way around. It didn't matter anymore. He would need to have a word with both his siblings later. Little did the red head notice that his sand was swirling around him.

X—X—X—X—X

Kin Tsuchi watched as the Suna Kunoichi was carried away on a stretcher, torrents of thoughts going through the Sound Nin's mind. She was the only foreign ninja that had not fought a battle and her opponent would be one out of the five remaining Konoha nin. Konoha had not lost a single match to a foreign shinobi, the only ones they had lost being to genin from their own village and this was what bothered Kin the most.

Zaku had fought a Konoha nin and he had barely come out alive. She had no idea if the wounds had not killed him since he was taken away to the infirmary. Yet, she had seen the technique that had put her friend in a near death state. She had also seen the ruthless efficiency with which the green clad boy had taken the Suna Kunoichi down using nothing but only taijutsu. If the Konoha genin were so strong, how would she fare against her opponent?

The beep from the board made Kin jump, the name on it quickening her pulse as she realized it was hers. Kin slowly walked down to the arena, noticing all eyes were fixed on her, the glare from Orochimaru had not helped in any way. The message was clear, she was the last Oto nin to fight and he wanted results. Kin only hoped that she could deliver.

Kin was already sweating with fright when the second beep sounded, the girl looking upwards at the screen to read the name of Hyuuga Neji. Of all the luck, she thought, she ended up facing one of the elite Hyuuga. All they knew of Neji was that he was considered to be the strongest genin in Konoha at the moment, just about topping his team mate Rock Lee. Not even their spy had managed to bring them any valuable information on Neji's weaknesses. It was safe to assume that the boy had none or that none had been found as of yet.

Kin Tsuchi shook all the thoughts from her mind as she watched the Hyuuga Branch member walk down to the dojo floor, her hand idly digging in her Kunai pouch to see if her bells were attached to her senbon.

The spectators watched as Neji slipped into the familiar Jyuuken stance, a stance that all Hyuuga had been taught along with their clan taijutsu, his face as stoic as ever.

"This will be over quick." Said the boy as he lowered himself into a stance. "You are within my field of Divination."

A chill ran up Kin's spine as she saw the stance the boy had gone into. The stance that the Hyuuga girl had earlier adopted before she had used the Rokujyuu Yonshou, she was sure this boy was going to use the same technique on her.

Hayate lifted his arm, his fingers arranged in a knife like formation, the traditional form for the karate chop. Kin knew that she would be in a world of pain the moment it came down, for if she was already within his range of divination, it was very unlikely she would have time to put more distance in between them.

The chop came without warning, Neji rushing Kin with all the speed he had. The Oto Kunoichi leapt backwards, her hands throwing a few senbon towards the onrushing Hyuuga as she tried to keep them separated.

"Hakke!" yelled Neji as he vanished from his spot, reappearing right in Kin's face. "Rokujyuu Yonshou!" Came the final words as the boy's hands leapt out to strike Kin in 64 tenketsu as fast as lightening. There was little Kin could do but watch as the boy hit her chakra coil, closing her chakra pathways. Her senbon had been her last resort, she would have been able to put him in a genjutsu had she been able to hit him directly. But, she hadn't.

The final thrust from Neji blew the girl a few meters away, her almost limp form slamming into the dojo floor. Kin struggled to sit up, her body sore and hurting from the hits. _So this is what it feels like to be hit with a Jyuuken Technique. _She thought. _Not only can't I access any of my chakra, I actually feel as if they were punches. _

"Proctor, this fight is over. She is no longer able to fight." Spoke the calm voice of Neji.

Hayate looked over to the Oto nin who had managed to stand up on her two feet as if he wanted her to confirm Neji's statement. The girl nodded.

"I forfeit this match." She said as she looked up into the balcony and into the eyes of Orochimaru. She could see the anger that was raging in his eyes at her actions. Kin knew that her punishment would come soon, along with that of Zaku's. _At least I won't die alone, _thought the girl as she followed a medic into the infirmary where they would give her a quick check up.

X—X—X—X—X

The board started scrolling names again, this time within the four names that remained. The crowd patiently watched as the letters slowly stopped to form the name of Aburame Shino from the Aburame clan from Konohoa. Aburame Shino looked at the board with interest, wanting to find out who his opponent was. He wanted to know, who he had to beat to get to the finals.

The Aburame were one of the only two clans of Ninja in the whole world that fought with the help of insects. And unlike the other clan, whose name Shino did not know, they were the only clan to actually give their bodies as hives for their insects.

This gift, allowed the Aburame to call on hundreds of insects with various abilities to do their bidding at any time. And as such, the Aburame had developed a very close relationship with the colonies of insects that they carried, each one of their clan opting for a different mixture of bugs to inhabit them. The only cost was that the host had to feed his chakra to the insects in order to keep the colony maintained. As such, they were about the only clan in Konoha that didn't practice in any other ninjutsu or genjutsu apart from their family jutsus. To be honest, most of them rarely needed to.

Shino felt his hive buzz as they detected a Kikaichu in the room that was not from their colony. His attention immediately diverted from the board. Kikaichu were a type of bug that leeched the enemy's chakra in battle, eventually letting its host absorb the chakra once it returned to the colony and they were a bug only the Aburame had power to control.

His hive buzzed again, identifying the lone Kikaichu as one from his father's colony as it came closer. The Kikaichu proceeded to land on Shino's shoulder, before it passed on a message from his father to him. The message was short and to the point and Shino understood every single instruction in it.

"Forfeit the Match. Konoha will soon be under attack. The Hokage wants our clan to help in preventing this invasion. I need you, my son."

The board beeped as it chose Shino's opponent, a boy by the name of Hyuuga Hisemi. Shino quickly thought about the message from his father. The Aburame were a quiet clan, rarely speaking and speaking only when they had to. Most of the time only to point out facts and only if it was important enough. Thus, Shino knew that his father had only asked him for help because he needed it and that it was important enough that he not risk himself getting injured and not being battle ready for when Konoha needed them.

Shino saw Hisemi jump down and over the railing, landing on the dojo floor. Yet, the boy waited a second before he raised his hand and speaking.

"Proctor, I forfeit this match."

His team mate Kiba snapped his head at Shino so hard that the Aburame could have sworn he had heard Kiba's neck crack.

"What? Why?" asked the Inuzuka. "You can take him! He's a Hyuuga. You have no chakra points!"

Shino looked at his teammate through his sunglasses. "I know. But my clan needs me for something. I cannot afford to be injured." Said the Konoha nin.

Kiba looked at Shino with his mouth agape. "But this is your chance to become Chuunin! You have a chance to beat a Hyuuga!" he said, still unable to believe that the Aburame had forfeited the fight.

"The promotion can wait." Said Shino, not bothering to remind Kiba that he could get his Chuunin promotion on the field.

Kiba was about to continue when he heard Hayate speak up.

"Since Aburame Shino has forfeited, the winner of this match is Hyuuga Hisemi!"

"Oy! Come down here and fight! I want to beat you!" yelled a frustrated Hisemi.

Shino just looked at him over the railing before he walked away and stood near the wall. It was clear that the Aburame was not going to fight.

"Winner, Hyuuga Hisemi." Stated Hayate, as if to tell Hisemi that the fight was not going to happen.

The Hyuuga clan member stormed up the stairs, frustrated that he had not gotten to show his skills in the dojo as most others had gotten to. It was not the fact that he didn't get to fight that irked him the most. It was rather the fact that if he fought in the finals and then lost, it would prove to all the Hyuuga that he had only gotten to the finals due to pure luck. It would be even worse if he fought with Neji, the only other Hyuuga genin to make it into the final.

X—X—X—X—X

Once Hisemi had left the floor, Gekkou Hayate wasted no further time before announcing the last match up. He did not even wait for the board to stop scrolling, immediately calling for Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji to come down to the floor.

Shikamaru meanwhile was already half way down the stairs. It would be a pain in the ass to fight his own team mate, but at least it ensured that one genin from his team would go into the finals. The question would be who would it be that moved on from this fight.

Shikamaru stopped when he reached the opposite side of the dojo floor, standing in front of Chouji as he faced his team mate.

"I don't have to tell you right?" spoke the Nara boy as he took his hands out of his pocket.

Chouji nodded. "I know you will win, but don't expect me to take it easy on you."

The Nara genius could only smile at his team mate.

"Are you two ready?" asked Hayate as he raised his hand.

"I'm sorry Chouji." Said Shikamaru as he put his fingers into the familiar hand seal of his family, his shadow shooting out as soon as Hayate's hand finished the chop.

Chouji had half uttered the "Bubun Baika No Jutsu" when the shadow had caught him, the Akimichi able to complete the words but not actually perform the jutsu.

"Kage Mane no Jutsu (Shadow Bind Technique), Success. Chouji, I suggest you give up now." Said the Nara as he took a few steps closer, the Akimichi mimicking his movements.

If one paid close attention, they would have been able to see Chouji gritting his teeth as he poured all his strength into trying to break free of the Kage Mane.

Sighing, the Nara thrust his right hand into his Kunai pouch and picked a piece of paper. However it was Chouji's mimicking that showed everyone what the Nara was attempting. Chouji watched as his right hand digged into a different pouch before pulling out one of his bags of potato chips that he always carried around. He was forced to watch as Shikamaru tore the top of the paper, in effect, opening the bag of chips.

"Forfeit, Chouji, or I will dump every single one of these packets onto the floor." Said the Nara.

Naruto saw the shock visibly flash in the Akimichi's eyes, a look that said No, you wouldn't.

It appeared as if Shikamaru had seen it too as he replied. "I'm sorry, but you know I would. I'm not saying you haven't improved, you have, but I have a better chance of success in the final rounds, than you or Ino. You know that." He said in addition.

Shikamaru was playing a dangerous game. In one sense he was right, Chouji and Ino were not strategically nor physically prepared for the competition they would face in the finals. He atleast, was strategically sound enough to keep up with the other opposition, which, the three of them knew that the other two weren't. But if you looked at it from another point of view, this bit he was telling them right now, could mean that he would lose both Ino's and Chouji's respect as well as friendship. Shikamaru had decided that he would take this risk, for his team.

Akimichi Chouji sighed audibly before he spoke. "Fine, but you owe me an all you can eat dinner, Shika." Said the boy, immediately making the Nara choke.

"Proctor, I forfeit. The chips aren't worth this fight." Said the chubby boy as he smiled at Shikamaru, happily chomping on the chips as he felt the shadow release him. The Akimichi gave the Nara a few final words before he went upstairs to the balcony.

"Make us proud Shika." Said the boy to which the Nara nodded as he walked alongside his team mate.

X—X—X—X—X

Hayate called for a five minute break once the last fight had been over, five minutes that he used to discuss how to proceed with the Hokage. Once he was done, the Tokubetsu Jounin stood in the middle of the dojo before calling out.

"Alright, Congratulations to all that won their match-ups. Now if you all would come downstairs, we will draw lots to determine who will fight who."

The winners of the preliminaries walked down the stairs, each in turn picking a small piece of paper out of Hayate's hand before they all arranged themselves in a line in front of the proctor.

"Alright. Now I want you to read out your numbers, when I ask you to. Number one and two."

Tenten was the first to speak. "One." Sakura following her with the number two.

"First Match up. Higurashi Tenten vs Haruno Sakura. You two may leave the floor." Announced Hayate, setting the pattern for the match ups.

Tenten smiled to Sakura as they crossed paths, both heading to two sides of the balcony. _This will be interesting, _Thought Tenten as she wondered how the fight would go. After all, she was now going up against one of the very rare people that had managed to defeat a Byakugan wielder.

"Ok. Number three and four" called Hayate.

Lee raised his hand, identifying himself to be number 3, Kiba the next to follow.

"Second Match Up, Rock Lee and Inuzuka Kiba. You may go to your teams."

Naruto calmly watched as the two genin left without a word to each other. The Taijutsu master against a duo that had trained mainly in their family taijutsu, another interesting match up.

Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Hisemi were the next to two read out their numbers. A full clan match up. It would be where the bad blood between Hisemi and the clan would surface, Naruto was sure of that. The younger genin glaring at the Number one Genin of Konoha as the latter left without a word. What luck he had, thought Hisemi as he walked up to Tane. He would have to fight Neji straight off the bat.

The next match up was Nara Shikamaru versus Uzumaki Naruto. The Genius vs the Container. Shikamaru knew that if anyone had a chance of breaking out of the hold with brute strength or raw chakra, it would be him. All in all, it would be a very tricky fight.

Last but not least, came Uchiha Sasuke vs Sabaku no Gaara. The Last Uchiha vs the Untouchable. This was probably the only fight that no one would be able to predict, though clearly, the advantage was with Sabaku no Gaara.

"Now that all the match ups are decided, all of you have exactly one month to prepare. The finals will be held one month from now, in Konoha's main stadium. I wish you all the best." Spoke Hayate, keeping things short. He knew by now, that the winners would be itching to go back and train, keeping in mind their opponents. If one thing was sure, Hayate knew that things would only get more interesting in the future.

X—X—X—X—X

Team 7 met outside the forest of death where Kakashi spoke to them with a smile.

"Congratulations to the both of you on two phases well done. I want you to know that I am very proud of you."

Both Naruto and Sakura smiled. They knew that all they were today was because of the push Kakashi but neither of them were able to say it.

"I know you are tired so I want you two to go get some rest. We'll start training tomorrow, I have some things to arrange before we get started. Don't worry, you two are ahead of any competition you have so you can afford to take a break for one day."

The two genin nodded before they took off towards their own homes. The day had been tough and they wanted to get as much rest as possible before they began the next step in their journey.

X—X—X—X—X

Alright! Another one done! WOOHOOO!

:P

REVIEW PLEASE!

For those of you interested there is a match up table below. Though be noted. The invasion may not happen in the first round, and the tournament may not be brought to a conclusion either.

**First Round**

1) Tenten vs Sakura

2) Lee Vs Kiba

3) Hisemi Vs Neji

4) Naruto Vs Shika

5) Gaara Vs Sasuke

**Second Round**

Winner 1 vs Winner 2

Winner 3 vs Winner 4

**Semi Finals**

Winner A moves on

C) Winner B vs Winner 5

**Final : **

Winner C vs Winner A


	19. Chapter 19: A Glimpse of Training

Wow! 17 reviews in just 12 hours! :D Keep it up! We already hit 100,000 hits as well as words! Yay!

Now, on to the replies.

I have one thing alone to say to you all… Just Keep Reading

Lousy Poet Automaton: I'm sure you have noticed that I have posted 17 chapters after the first one… not that I don't appreciate your comments… but I think, it's a bit too late to go back and correct them, and some mistakes, I have corrected in the later chapters.

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 19: The Preparations begin.

The next day began early for the both Naruto and Sakura, both eager to start training for their opponents. The thrill and the rush that they both got as they fought was exhilarating and they both enjoyed it.

The both of them arrived at their normal training ground at 8 am to find their sensei already there.

"Wow." He spoke. "You two are early."

Naruto and Sakura gave Kakashi a blank look as if they had no clue what he meant, which they hadn't and the Jounin got the hint.

"I didn't expect either of you to show up so early. So that means we have an hour before the meetings."

"Meetings?" Echoed Sakura.

"Yes, unfortunately, I will not be able to train you during this month. The Hokage has assigned me an ANBU mission that will take me out of the village for weeks."

Both Naruto and Sakura both visibly deflated. They had been looking forward to the things that Kakashi would teach them, and now, they knew that he was not.

"But." Continued the Jounin. "I have arranged two great ninja's to train the both of you. One for each, as I doubt you would want each other to know your skills in case you two had to fight in the last match up. They will be here in an hour, but before that, I would like to discuss your opponents with you."

The genin immediately snapped into attention, both their eyes fixed on their sensei.

"Lets start with you Sakura." Said Kakashi. "Your first opponent is Higurashi Tenten. Tell me what you both know of her. Naruto you're involvement in this is very important as well."

The boy nodded and turned to Sakura to continue.

"From what I saw from her fight, Tenten is a long range fighter that uses her mastery over weapons to barrage her opponent from a distance." Said Sakura to which Kakashi nodded.

"But we cannot assume that to be her only skill with weapons, normally, a weapon master is fluent in both close and long range weapons." Spoke Naruto.

"Very good." Said Kakashi. "Also the fact that she is Maito Gai's teacher student means we will have to assume that she has close range abilities as well. Now, what are her weaknesses?"

Sakura frowned as she recalled the battle, looking for something that could be called a weakness.

"Wind, the element makes her lose control over her weapons." She said finally, unable to come up with anything else.

"But you don't have a wind affinity, so we must think of something else." Said Kakashi.

"Her Weapons." Spoke Naruto quickly, Kakashi raising his eyebrow.

"Explain." Said the Jounin.

"From what I have seen, she keeps most of her projectiles sealed in a scroll, or a couple of scrolls. As far as I know, there is no real time limit to the fight. If Sakura-chan uses defensive Doton coupled with her speed, she should be able to avoid them all until Tenten runs out, then, Sakura-chan's offensive power will count. Of course, you have to keep in mind the girl's usage of wires."

Kakashi was impressed. He had not expected Naruto to come up with a simple yet workable strategy in such a short amount of time.

"That should work." Said Kakashi. "Sakura, it's your job to talk with your new teacher before you decide a tactic, though I think, it's safe to go with Naruto's for now. Okay, your next fixture will be against either Rock Lee or Inuzuka Kiba. Let's start with Lee."

Naruto nodded before he spoke as he knew Lee personally from his earlier days. "Lee is a taijutsu only fighter, he has no ability to use chakra so he has no skill in Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. His ability at dispelling Genjutsu is unknown."

Sakura picked up where Naruto trailed off. "Lee has great speed, speed he hasn't shown yet if I'm not wrong." She looked at Naruto for confirmation. They both knew that Lee was one who used the same weight training technique they both did. "So the answer is not in using speed against him. However, he has no idea what kind of speed I possess, so if I evaded one of his moves, and started cutting his tendons. Would that work?" Asked Sakura

Kakashi nodded. "Yes it would, in that case, I would advise for you to go for his hamstrings on the first move. If you manage to cut it, it would sorely limit his movement. Okay, on to Naruto. First opponent, Nara Shikamaru."

The blond boy took a deep breath before he started. "Probably the highest IQ amongst the genins, he has no real battle skill since his taijutsu is low and he doesn't like using Genjutsu but his strategies make up for his flaws. His Kage Mane no jutsu is the one we should all be looking out for. As for a strategy, it would be hard to think of one now, as it would change continuously against a shogi player."

Kakashi nodded. "Good enough. Now you're next opponent would be…" Kakashi trailed off as the three of them sensed two other chakra signatures approach them. Kakashi looked at his watch and sighed. "Looks like we are out of time. I need to quickly introduce you to your mentors before I leave. The Hokage expects me gone by 10." Said the silver haired Jounin with a sad face. Both Naruto and Sakura nodded, they knew that he wanted to stay and help guide them through every step of their journey and they all knew that that was near to impossible.

Two Jounins suddenly appeared by Kakashi's side, one that Naruto instantly recognized as the one that kept following the Hokage's grandson around and the other who Sakura recognized as the Mokuton user that had attacked her before the first phase.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, I would like you to meet, Ebisu and Yamato. Naruto, Ebisu will be teaching you through out this month, he is one of the best personal teachers Konoha has ever produced. Sakura, Yamato here is perfect for you because of your elemental affinities, do not doubt his skills for he is one of the very top notch ANBU we have in service. Now, I leave you to your self introductions." With that the former ANBU member vanished, leaving the other four in a slight state of shock.

Yamato was the one to finally break the silence. "Ah, well, the earlier we start, the better." He said as he beckoned for Sakura to follow him into the trees. Ebisu sighed before he lead Naruto away, but this time, into Konoha itself.

X—X—X—X—X

With Sakura and Yamato

"Alright." Said Yamato as they stopped in a small clearing with a river running through it. "As Kakashi said, my name is Yamato. It is not my actual name but my codename, which the Hokage assigned me for missions in civilian clothes. I am an ANBU captain and I lead ANBU team 5." The man paused to allow Sakura to give him her introduction.

"Haruno Sakura, Genin of team 7, my affinities are water and earth. I have completed 1 A rank mission. The rank of the second one, I do not know. My ambition is to become a strong Kunoichi and medic nin as well as a good woman." Replied the girl.

Yamato thought for a second at her words about being a medic nin. "Tell me. Why do you think it is so important for you to learn the Mokuton style that the Hokage has assigned this mission to me to train you?"

Sakura audibly gasped. She had had no idea that the Hokage had officially assigned Yamato a mission to train her in the Mokuton arts.

"To be honest… I do not know." She stammered as she struggled to come to terms with the information she had just received.

"Tell me what you think." Urged Yamato.

"Because Mokuton users are rare." She said, hastily coming up with a reason.

Yamato nodded. "True, Mokuton users are rare, the last one being the first Hokage, Senju Hashirama. I, am just a clone created from his cells. You are the second Mokuton user we have knowledge of, not even Shodaime's grand daughter, Senju Tsunade has the ability to use Mokuton."

Yamato paused for a second to get his breath before he asked Sakura to sit down on the ground.

"However, it is not the reason that the Hokage has asked me to train you. I hope you are aware of what your team mate is containing?" asked Yamato.

"The Kyuubi." Stated Sakura as if it were general knowledge.

_Good. _Thought Yamato. _It seems as if she holds no resentment towards him for what he contains._

"A Mokuton user is connected to life." Spoke the man as he demonstrated, springing small shoots out of the ground. "Life, is the exact opposite of the destructive Chakra the Bijuu such as the Kyuubi contain."

"A Mokuton user, of great strength, may be able to suppress the destructive chakra of such a beast. Meaning should your team mate lose control one day, your presence, may help him regain control."

Sakura finally understood the importance that the Hokage had placed on her training and why. Naruto was her team mate, more importantly, the boy she was steadily falling in love with. She would be most likely the closest to him in any event were the Kyuubi able to possess the boy and with knowledge of such art, she may be able to get her love to win control over the Kyuubi some day.

"Now do you understand why the Hokage assigned me this mission?" asked Yamato and Sakura nodded.

"Do you understand why we must not fail this?" he asked again. Sakura nodded once again and Yamato could now see the change in her eyes. They were now, more determined, more mature.

"Good, now, we can begin our training."

X—X—X—X—X

With Naruto and Ebisu.

Naruto and his new mentor had just reached the hot springs when they heard a girlish giggling coming from a bush near the bath houses. The young blonde frowned, if he hated anything, it was a pervert. Sure, he had created some perverted Jutsu's such as the Oiroke no Jutsu and the Harem no Jutsu, but he had all done it in order to punish such perverts and this one, peeping through a hole, was no different.

Naruto glanced at Ebisu and saw that the Jounin was deep in thought and the boy decided to make full use of this opportunity. He immediately shunshined to the perverts side before he spoke in a loud voice.

"OY! Pervert! What do you think you are doing?" he yelled, immediately making the white haired man jump up in fright.

There was a scream from within the bath house as a multitude of towel covered women raced out and proceeded to beat the living daylight out of the white haired man.

Naruto had made it back to Ebisu's side when the white man finally managed to catch up.

"Oy! Kid!" Yelled the man. "Who do you think you are ruining my research?" he yelled finally breaking Ebisu out of his deep thought.

Naruto turned to the pervert before speaking in a cross voice. "Who do you think you are peeping into women's bath houses?" he yelled back with equal fury.

"J-Jiraiya-sama!" stuttered Ebisu. "Forgive me, if I was better able to keep a hold on my new student I'm sure it would not have happened."

"Oooh, another fan of my books?" asked the white haired man as he pulled out a copy of his Icha Icha Paradise books, Ebisu immediately drooling at the sight of it.

"You mean you are a pervert too?" asked Naruto with wide eyes.

"I am no pervert!" Yelled Ebisu, trying to wipe the drool that has accumulated on his chin.

"He's right!" continued the white haired man. "We are no perverts! We are Super Perverts!" He finished with a pose.

A slight red haze came over Naruto's eyes as he yelled out, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" both Ebisu and Jiraiya falling into defensive stances.

_Kage Bunshin eh? _Thought Jiraiya. _Impressive at such an age, especially that number and without handseals._

"Think you can take us on with such a low level technique?" asked Ebisu, making Jiraiya wish that the Jounin hadn't.

Naruto however, only said one word in reply. "Henge!"

Without any further delay, all of Naruto's clones transformed into young, naked women with smoke clouds hiding any private parts from view. However, what they saw was enough to make both Ebisu and Jiraiya go rocketing into the air, blood coming out of their noses.

"Heh." Said Naruto with a smile. "How do you like my Harem no Jutsu?" he asked.

"It is a good jutsu. A bit stupid, but effective." Came the reply as the white haired man walked out of the forest, cotton stuck up both his nostrils. Naruto wondered why the man was even alive after so much blood came out of his nose.

"It's only a pity that it is not fatal. It is the only way you will ever keep me from peeking again." Said the man as casually walked towards the bath house again.

Naruto vanished from his spot, appearing in front of the man. "You are not peeking." He said in a low and menacing tone.

"And who is going to stop me?" asked the man, egging Naruto on.

"I may not be as strong as a sannin, but I'm going to try!" said the boy as he charged the sannin, head on.

Jiraiya watched the boy run towards him, before he vanished with a speed that he had not used before. Only the Sannin's lightening quick reactions allowed him to raise an arm to block the fist that came in. Jiraiya quickly grabbed Naruto's shirt before slamming him into the ground and stepping on his back.

The boy under his foot smirked before disappearing into a cloud of smoke, a growing shadow the only thing alerting the sannin to the boy just above him. Jiraiya leapt back as the heel of the Kage Bunshin slammed into the ground, another vaulting off of it's back without further delay.

The Sannin leapt on to the water, using chakra to stay standing on the water before he spoke to the genin. He watched as Naruto charge onto the water only to fall into the hot springs. The sannin shook his head, was this boy really Ebisu's student? He didn't seem like he had much talent at all, except for the Kage Bunshin.

"Suiton." Came a voice and Jiraiya's eyes widened. "Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu." Came the intonation of the technique before the sannin felt a hand pull him under the surface of the water. The Sannin leapt out of the water and straight into the path of another Naruto.

Jiraiya saw the handseals that Naruto was forming and started forming handseals of his own. He was in mid air and the Sannin knew that the only way of defense would be a counter technique.

"Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" "Suiton, Suijinheki!"

The two jutsu's clashed mid air, producing a hiss as the water shield turned into steam. The clone popping into inexistence as his chakra was exhausted.

_Ingenious! _Thought Jiraiya as he witnessed the clone poof away. _Using his clones to perform techniques, exhausting them of their chakra and dispersing them so that the opponent always has to be aware of his surroundings for the real one!_

"Fuuton! Reppuushou!" came another yell as Naruto appeared on top of the water behind him before using the gust to blow Jiraiya away. The Sannin was about to react when he felt a presence under him. The Kage Buyou, he realized as a hand grabbed his arm and spun him.

Jiraiya managed to block the punch that came towards his face, totally distracting him from the double footed kick that hit his stomach propelling him further into the air with a shout of "U".

The same clone hit Jiraiya in the stomach twice, this time with one leg each, once with the syllable "Zu" and the second with the syllable "Ma".

Jiraiya readied himself for a third kick, fully expecting the boy to land one more, but was taken aback when a pair of arms grabbed him from above and threw him straight towards the ground with a shout of "Ki."

The sannin was preparing to land on his feet when he felt a pair of legs land on his back, giving him a final thrust towards the ground with a shout of "Naruto Rendan!"

The sannin hit the ground and exploded into a shower of water, the water clone now dispersed. Naruto felt his clones disappear soon after, each dispatched with a single blow to their bodies. Naruto felt the touch of a kunai to his throat and knew that the battle was over. The elder man had an edge on everything.

"Fine, you win." Growled the boy grudgingly.

"You know kid, you did very well. I wouldn't expect many your age to be able to take on one of my water clones let alone beat it." said the Sannin with a smile as he returned the kunai to his pouch.

Naruto rubbed his neck, the feeling of the cold, sharp steel instrument gone from the area. Naruto knew that the only way he had survived was because the man was from Konoha. If he had been from another village, Naruto was sure to be dead right now.

"Well, apparently I didn't do good enough." Said the boy dryly.

The sannin laughed. "I don't make bets I lose, boy. I am not my team mate."

Naruto frowned at the sannin's use of team mate. _What does he mean by that? _Thought Naruto.

Ebisu chose that exact moment to walk in to the area, immediately sputtering apologies towards the sannin.

"My apologies, Jiraiya-sama. I should really learn how to control my students." Spoke the Jounin with the glasses.

Jiraiya just waved it off. "You have a great ninja on your hands Ebisu, I congratulate you on your teaching."

Ebisu beamed and was streaming of a long line of teaching techniques he had used when Naruto cut in.

"He hasn't taught me a thing." Said the boy.

"What did you say?" asked Jiraiya, curious as to why the boy had said it after Ebisu had started taking the credit.

"I said the closet pervert hasn't taught me a thing. I am from Hatake Kakashi's squad. My sensei has a mission and he asked Ebisu-sensei to train me for the final tournament." Replied the boy nonchalantly.

"Kakashi's squad huh?" said Jiraiya to no one in particular. He had heard of his sensei's decision to allow a 2-man squad under the leadership of the Copy Nin and had written it off as an experiment meant to fail. But he had revised his opinion, now that he had seen one of Kakashi's students fight.

"How come he didn't assign your team mate to Ebisu?" asked the Sannin. "Is he not as strong as you?"

"On the contrary Jiraiya-sama." Said the boy. "We are so close in skill that Kakashi assigned us two different teachers. Though we may be a team, in these tournaments we may end up fighting each other. Kakashi would rather we have moves of our own that the other did not know."

"Interesting." Murmured Jiraiya. "So who did Kakashi get for him?"

"Her." Corrected Naruto. "I'm not sure, some guy called Yamato."

Yamato. The name rang out through Jiraiya's brain like an electric bell. One of Orochimaru's more successful experiments of cloning, a little physical flaw, but loyal to Konoha as Jiraiya himself. Yamato had been one of the few to fight Orochimaru the day the Snake Sannin had decided to leave.

"Ebisu." Called the Sannin. "Your services are no longer required for the boy. You can tell Kakashi that I have decided to take him under my wing for this duration. That is, of course, only if you have no problems." Said Jiraiya turning towards the boy.

Naruto was stunned. It was not everyday that a Sannin volunteered to train you. Naruto nodded, too dumbstruck to speak.

"Good." Said the Sannin. "I'll promise not to peek in your presence if you promise not to hate me for it." he said.

Naruto nodded. The deal was as good as anything and he decided that he could put up with the Sannin's few quirks in order for his own improvement.

"So, lets get started." Said Jiraiya with a grin that would have put a certain snake mistress to shame.

X—X—X—X—X

Sakura lay panting on the grass, her body bruised and aching from the spar that she and Yamato had had in the past half an hour. The ANBU had decided that he would give her five minutes before he began her proper training.

"Good. Very Good." Said Yamato as Sakura sat up. "Your Taijutsu skills are one that a genin would envy. In fact, I would put you on equal with most Chuunin in our forces at the moment."

Sakura managed a smile though her body still ached.

"Since you have recovered some chakra, I think it's about time we started the first phase of our training."

Sakura was about to groan when Yamato raised a finger cutting her off.

"Don't worry, it's nothing physical." He said. "As you know, Mokuton is one of the rarer Jutsu types because it requires you to physically grow life from the soil. Only one retaining the blood line can be expected to immediately start to use Mokuton. You, on the other hand, have to master the basic elements and some amount of medical jutsu before you can even attempt to grow a sapling. This may take years, depending on your rate of training."

Sakura's face hardened. She did not have years to waste mastering the basic elements. The Kyuubi would strike when least expected and that could be any moment from now on and Sakura wanted to be ready for it.

"I do not have all the time sensei, Naruto-kun may need me anytime. I need to learn as fast as possible." She said.

"Well, there is one way we can speed it up, but it may be hard for you." Said the ANBU captain as he rubbed his chin.

"The Kage Bunshin." Stated Sakura knowingly.

"He taught you?" Asked Yamato, surprised when the girl nodded.

"How many can you make?" He asked.

"So far, ten at a time, that is while leaving me enough chakra to do the same exercises." She said.

"Ten is a good start. Every day, if you exhaust your supplies several times, the rate of your chakra capacity growth will increase. Kakashi withheld that particular information knowing both you and your team mate would go overboard." Said the Mokuton user as he gazed into her eyes. The determination still showed in the green pupil and Yamato had to fight to hold back a smile. He knew she would be a force to reckon with once the month was over. He only hoped Ebisu taught the boy equally.

"So, which element do you want to start with?" he asked.

"Doton." Replied the girl.

"Why?"

"My first match up is against a weapons user from Konoha. Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sensei thought it would be best if I touch up on my defensive jutsu so that I may stay out of harm while she exhausts her supplies.

"A sound strategy, I would have suggested the same thing. However, you should know that even though Doton excels in defensive jutsu, that it isn't only a defensive element. It has one of the most powerful offensive Jutsu next to Fuuton and Katon. The only thing is that it is hard to control and requires a huge amount of chakra. We will learn both types during this month and maybe some Suiton for variation. But for now, let's get on with some exercises."

X—X—X—X—X

"Alright Kid. Tell me what your affinity is." Asked Jiraiya as he and Naruto walked away from Konoha.

"Fuuton." Spoke the boy.

Jiraiya nodded. It was the most offensive element he knew among the basics, the one he had least experience in. But thankfully, Jiraiya had had a student that had a Fuuton affinity and the Sannin had managed to learn a lot from him.

"Alright. Why don't you try this exercise, along with your Kage Bunshin if you please, and I will go and see if there are any Fuuton scrolls that I can borrow for the month."

Naruto caught the scroll Jiraiya lobbed him and opened it. The writing looked rushed, as if the Sannin had committed it from memory just then and there. The Exercise seemed simple. Float a leaf above your palm with only Fuuton Chakra. Naruto nodded and sat himself down in the middle of the forest before he called up twenty of his clones. The Sannin disappeared without a further word.

Little did Naruto know that the Sannin had actually made a Kage Bunshin to monitor his student while he paid a visit to the Hokage. There were some things he needed to find out before he could implement his strategy on the boy. The boy would be peerless once Jiraiya was done with him.

X—X—X—X—X

The door to the Hokage's office opened a few minutes later, the Hokage smiled as he saw who entered.

"It has been a while Jiraiya." Said the man as he straightened before he took a puff from his pipe. "What brings you here?"

The white haired man nodded as he stood by his teachers desk. "I want information about a ninja of yours. One specific Uzumaki Naruto." Said the man.

"What makes you think I will be able to give you information that your network hasn't already obtained about him?" asked the Sandaime.

"I would rather get it from you sensei." Stated Jiraiya. "I have more confidence in you than my sources."

Sarutobi smiled. He knew that Jiraiya would have been able to get any and almost all the info he could on Naruto through his spy network. Besides, it was not as if the Konoha ANBU would not give the sannin access to their files in either case.

"Is he who I think he is?" asked Jiraiya, the venom clear in his voice.

"Yes, he is." Said the Sandaime matching Jiraiya's fierce stare with one of his own.

"Why wasn't I told?" asked Jiraiya as he tried to keep his rage under control. "He's Minato's son! My godson!"

The Hokage sighed. "It was for his own good." He said.

"How is this for his own good? I could have trained him to be better!" said Jiraiya.

"Yes. You could have." Said the Hokage. "Yet, you would also attract more attention to him and he would be defenseless."

"How would I attract more attention to him?" asked Jiraiya confused.

"Who is the only blonde man to associate himself with you?" asked Sandaime, the realization sinking into the sannin.

"Minato." Breathed the sannin.

"Exactly. And they will surely know Tsunade hasn't had a child. It can leave only one option. Minato's son."

Jiraiya clenched his fists in anger. He was very angry at his sensei. Yet he understood what his teacher had done. Spies were common in every country, Jiraiya should know, he had a network going through each and every village as it was. Surely, he was being spied upon and Naruto would have been found out if Jiraiya had taken him.

"At least now, he has enough skill to fight a ninja off until you teach him more. Mind you, it won't be easy to take him away now." Said the Sandaime holding up a pinky finger.

Jiraiya's eyes widened. "His team mate?"

The Sandaime nodded. "The one and only. You need to take her along if you want him to go with you. Besides, I think she will make a great student for Tsunade, I think she is capable of Mokuton."

Jiraiya's eyes widened even further. Mokuton! One of the hardest elemental types to control yet produce. _So that is why Yamato is teaching her! Good job Kakashi._

"Does Kakashi know?" asked Jiraiya, knowing full well how angry the silver haired Jounin would be if he found out now.

The Sandaime nodded. "That's exactly the reason why he volunteered to teach just the two of them. And he hasn't been late to any of their trainings or meetings."

Jiraiya smiled. Minato was one of Kakashi's most prized people, his death had affected Kakashi the worst. It seemed as if the Copy Nin would be damned if he would let Minato's son be killed.

"Thanks sensei. Now I got to go. I have someone who needs to sign the Toad Summoning Scroll."

X—X—X—X—X

BWAHAHAHAH! I feel like being mean to you today. So…. I'm going to end chapter here… and tell you that you will not get any chapters about their training. Why? Cause it's the only way that you all will be surprised to see what happens in the finals.

UP NEXT! THE FINALS BEGIN!

REVIEW!


	20. Chapter 20: The Finals Begin

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 20: The Finals Begin

One month, thought the blond boy as he looked at himself in the mirror. It had been exactly one month ago that he and his team mate had finished the first two phases of the Chuunin Exams, easily winning in the preliminary rounds for the third phase. One month ago that he had started his training with the Sannin Jiraiya for this very day, the day that the whole of Konoha would witness the true extent of his ninja skills, the day that he hoped to win the tournament against genin from all around the world. But more than that, it was also the day that he would get to see his girlfriend for the first time in the whole month they had spent training.

Uzumaki Naruto, The Jailer of the Kyuubi no Yoko, Student of the Toad Sage Jiraiya, shoved his hands in his pockets as he calmly walked through the streets of Konoha towards the house where one Haruno Sakura lived. He knew he would probably get beaten into the ground for showing up without a gift, but Naruto decided that the beating up would be worth it. After all, it wasn't long till the beginning of the tournament and they had to be there soon.

Inside the Haruno house, Sakura's mother had caught sight of Naruto, immediately ushering Sakura out of her room and getting her to look out the window.

"Mom! What are you doing?" asked Sakura as she felt herself being pushed.

"Some hot boy is coming to see you." Said her mother in a teasing voice but Sakura had not yet understood.

"Who?" asked Sakura as she looked out the window, looking for someone that she had not met before. That was until she caught sight of a blond mop of hair coming towards their house.

"Is that? Naruto?" she breathed as she took in the sight of the boy who now wore a black t-shirt along with matching baggy black pants. The t-shirt was not too tight, nor too loose, not the thick jacket he had worn when they had started training. Along with the baggy pants, it brought to light something that Sakura had never properly noticed about her boyfriend.

"I don't know anyone else who has blond hair in this village." Said her mother and Sakura's head snapped towards her, out of the thoughts of how his outfit defined Naruto's toned muscle.

What did her mother mean by that? Of course there were other blonde's in the village. Tsunade of the sannin and the late Yondaime Hokage. Sakura's breath hitched as she finished the thought. Tsunade was no longer inside this village, even though she was still loyal to Konoha, she spent her days traveling and that had erased all chances of Naruto being her son. But, then there was the Yondaime. Who had been around, and who had died on Naruto's birthday.

_No, it's not conclusive, _Thought Sakura as she walked down the stairs, her mother following close behind. She would have to talk to Kakashi about this, but for now, there were more urgent matters to attend to.

X—X—X—X—X

Haruno Sayaki and her daughter exited the house just as Naruto walked up to their porch. The smiles that both Harunos gave him made him blush.

"Wow Naruto-kun." Spoke the Elder Haruno. "You look great without that orange jacket of yours."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, a gesture Sakura had come to associate with him being shy.

"She's right." Added Sakura, before Naruto could come up with words to deny it. "You do look great."

Both Naruto and Sakura blushed at the end of her words and Sayaki rolled her eyes. One would think that the shyness would have disappeared after the two had been through everything they had.

"Alright, That's enough." Cut in Sayaki. "We need to get moving or we will be late."

Both genin nodded as the trio set of towards the Konoha stadium and where they would take part in the final Chuunin exam tournament. Sakura knew how far she had come with Yamato's help. She knew that Naruto would improve just as well, after all she had been a first hand witness to his rate of improvement. The question was, just how much had Naruto improved?

X—X—X—X—X

By the time Naruto and Sakura reached the stadium, most of the seats were already full. It wasn't until they were about to go look for seats that an ANBU reminded them that contestants did not need one. Relieved the two genin that made up Team 7 walked down the stairs and into the contestants booth where they found Nara Shikamaru as its only occupant.

"Naruto, Sakura." Said the pineapple haired boy as he nodded towards the two who had come in.

"Hey Shika. No one else here yet?" Asked Naruto as the couple took their place beside their fellow Konoha genin.

"No. No one." Replied Shikamaru as the boy turned his eye towards the center of the stadium, neither of the other two really wanting to continue the conversation.

X—X—X—X—X

Aburame Shino crouched on the branch of the tree as he watched the forces of Oto and Suna milled around below, just outside of Konoha. Their guard was lax, thought Shino, very lax. They had made the mistake of assuming that Konoha would not have caught on to their plans and had not posted guards. This would end up costly for them, thought the boy as he nodded to the two Aburame accompanying him. It was time to set the plan in motion.

X—X—X—X—X

Similarly, in another part of the forest surrounding Konoha, the medic nin Haku, along with a team of ANBU plus the additional strength of Hatake Kakashi and Akimichi Choza, eyed the main force of the Suna and Oto nin that were preparing for the attack.

_Alright. Fall back to the river. We will hold them there where your Ice Powers count. _Signed Kakashi, once he had had an estimate of the enemy numbers and the rest of the team nodded.

They vanished leaving only the slightest ruffling of the trees which the Suna nin dismissed as the breeze.

X—X—X—X—X

"Jiraiya-sama." Came a voice causing the sannin to turn towards the man who had spoken.

"Yes Kakashi?" asked the sannin fully knowing that the man present was a clone.

"The Hokage would like to know if your preparations are done. The delay teams are already falling into place. The academy children are being taken on a field trip into the bunkers."

The Sannin nodded. "Tell the Hokage that there has been a slight change of plans. The vessel of Shukaku is present and containing a fully manifested demon inside the barrier might be impossible."

"And the change in plans?" asked the clone.

"Arrange Uchiha Sasuke to be late to the finals. I will have Naruto draw the vessel into the forest and hold it there until I can make it to alter the seal."

The clone hesitated, giving Jiraiya the idea that there was more that the clone wanted to know.

"And about Naruto?" it asked finally.

"Sensei does not suspect anything. What he does not know, he cannot admit to the council." Said the Sannin.

"Do you think he is ready?" asked the clone.

The sannin smiled at Kakashi's protectiveness. It was to be expected thought the Sannin, after all, Naruto was all that both Kakashi and he had that tied them to their beloved Yondaime. "He was ready before he landed in my lap." Said the toad sage.

With one nod, the Copy Nin dispelled his clone, allowing the experience to transfer to his original body as well as his other clone.

X—X—X—X—X

Temari waved good bye to her brothers and sensei as they left for the stadium and Gaara's fight against the Uchiha. Temari looked down at her broken leg and silently cursed the Konoha genin for breaking it. At least she would have been useful then and would not have to wait in some camp in the forests as her village troops assaulted Konoha. At least then she could take part in all the fun.

Temari thought back to the discussion they had at their inn, the words that had been exchanged by the three of them as they discussed how not everything had gone according to plan.

"How do we go ahead with things now, Baki-sensei?" she had asked.

"We do not have the option of changing the basics." He had replied. "Gaara must fight in this tournament, it is him losing control that will carve a pathway through the walls and into the heart of Konoha. Kankuro will not be allowed to take Karasu with him as he is no longer a contestant which means he will have to stay at the inn and listen for the sounds. As for you, you have no chance of fighting with that leg. I'm afraid you will have to sit this one out."

Those exact words from her sensei had hurt her. It had felt as if she had not only let her team down, but as if she had let him, the village and her father down and she was sure Kankuro was feeling the same. Though Kankuro was still able to take part in the invasion, the fact that he was out of the tournament meant that he would no longer have a chance of injuring and hospitalizing any more of the Konoha genin.

"It will be tough though." The painted boy had spoken. "The Konoha genin are tough. They did win the majority of the preliminaries. If anything that must mean that the elder generations are stronger, for it is them that taught these genin."

Temari had nodded. If the genin's strength was anything to go by, then imagine how strong the Chuunin and the Jounin would be.

"It does not matter." Their sensei had said. "Once Gaara manifests the Shukaku, the Jounin and the Chuunin will have their hands busy trying to fend him off. That is when our assault forces strike and take advantage of their distraction."

"What if Gaara loses?" Temari had asked, the look she had received from both her brother and her sensei had given her her answer. As if Gaara would lose. But Temari had always liked to have a contingency plan for everything and this was one thing that they had none for. It was either this or nothing. It would either work and Konoha would be destroyed or it would fail and they would be destroyed. There were no other possibilities, yet somehow, she just could not shake this feeling.

What _if _Gaara lost?

X—X—X—X—X

Back in the contestant's area, Kiba as well as Gai's team had just arrived, the latter three choosing not to speak to the three already there. Kiba, however, walked over to them.

"Yo!" he said with his usual eagerness. "How's it going?"

None of the three other genin responded to Kiba, Naruto giving him a sideways glance as if to say "How do you think its going?"

"Alright, fair enough." Said Kiba as he took a seat next to Shikamaru. "What do you guys think of our match-ups? Personally, I'm scared, you all saw how he fought."

Shikamaru didn't speak up, instead looked over at Naruto who looked back at the Nara. They didn't need to say it, both of them were nervous at fighting each other. Sakura, seeing the awkwardness between the two, decided to speak up.

"Tenten will be tough." She said. "She has the advantage long distance. The only chance I have off winning is to get in close to her." Said the pink haired Kunoichi.

The group watched the field below as Hayate finally stepped into the middle before yelling out loud.

"Contestants! Please step forward!"

Naruto was the first to stand up and walk towards the staircase, the rest of the genin close behind.

"Mah." He said. "I guess it has begun."

X—X—X—X—X

By the time the genin had lined up in the middle of the field, both Hisemi and Gaara had joined them. Gaara wore a stoic face as usual, not caring about who else was around him. Naruto didn't bother. Now was not the time to ponder upon things. Neji caught Hisemi's glare at the elder Hyuuga as the younger boy fell in to line, Neji just shrugging it off as if it was nothing. Both Hyuuga's knew that things would be settled today, one way or another.

"Daimyo's and Kage's! Prospective clients! Fellow Shinobi from around the world! Welcome to Konoha's Arena and the Finals of the Chuunin Exams!" spoke the Hokage as he stood up from his seat, his voice loud and clear throughout the stadium. "I'm sure you are all tired and itching to watch the match ups, so I will not tarry long. I present to you, the final contestants of the Chuunin Exam!"

There was a loud cheer as the crowd stood up to congratulate the contestants on making it this far. Naruto and the other genin looked all around them as they finally took in the number of people that had attended this event to watch them.

"All contestants except Haruno Sakura of Konoha and Higurashi Tenten of Konoha, please step into the contestants booth." Said Hayate and the line of genin complied.

Naruto, Kiba and Shikamaru took the closest seats while Gai's team took the ones a few seats adjacent. Gaara chose to stand in the background for once feeling slightly daunted as he was the only foreign ninja to make it to this stage. Hisemi had chosen the corner seat farthest away from Neji.

"Okay, let me walk you through the rules again. This is a one on one fight. Any types of jutsu is allowed, ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu or even kinjutsu. The fight will continue until your opponent is no longer in a state where he or she is able to fight or until he or she forfeits the match. Know that I may choose to stop the fight if I feel that one of these conditions apply."

The genin watched as Hayate slowly adjusted the microphone he wore on his vest. "Barrier up." Said the Jounin and a bright blue field phased into existence, slowly becoming colorless, allowing the spectators to see through it.

"The force field is a precaution taken by the ANBU of Konoha in order to protect its citizens and guests from any stray projectile or jutsu. The force field will be up at all times and will only be let down in order to allow the participants to enter and leave the floor." Explained Hayate.

"Any questions?" he asked the two ninja that were facing each other.

The two girls shook their heads and Hayate nodded.

"First Match, Haruno Sakura versus Higurashi Tenten. Begin!"

Sakura was off as soon as Hayate had finished his sentence, the girl rushing towards the weapon master, hoping to finish the fight quick. Tenten smiled, Sakura had underestimated her, and it would cost her the match.

X—X—X—X—X

The Hokage sat down in his chair as the ANBU beside him leaned into his ear.

The teams were in place, each with a trusted Konoha ninja in it so that their tasks would go as smooth as possible.

"Get Shibi." Spoke the Hokage. "Tell him the exams have started."

The ANBU nodded and stepped back as he keyed his radio before speaking into it. "Someone find Aburame Shibi, the exams have started and the Hokage would like to know where he is."

There was a slight crackle before the voice of Aburame Shibi came through the ANBU's earphone. "Roger that, please apologize to the Hokage, I'm a bit caught up with clan business."

The ANBU member wasted little time in relaying the message to the Hokage who managed to look disappointed. "That will be all." He said.

Deep down, Sarutobi smiled. Things were going as planned and if they went well, Orochimaru would know nothing of the loss of part of his troops until it was too late.

X—X—X—X—X

Inside the woods near Konoha one of the Oto nin killed a bug that he had found on his leg.

"This is what I hate about Fire Country's woods. Damn bugs everywhere!" he said as he swatted away another that had landed on his arm.

Somewhere in the trees, Aburame Shibi smiled as his kikaichuu started feeding him chakra from over twenty men. Between him and his six family members in the team sent, Aburame Shibi had not even a shadow of a doubt that they would succeed in not only delaying but taking out an entire assault force meant to rush Konoha's walls.

X—X—X—X—X

In another part of the woods, one of the Suna nin suddenly died, a kunai rammed through his skull by his patrol mate. The only other in the patrol managed to turn around and face his comrade.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, confused.

"You know one thing about hiding in the trees?" asked the first man as he put his kunai back in his pouch. "There are a lot of shadows."

Both the Suna nin's eyes widened as black spikes thrust themselves through their torsos, killing them silently and efficiently.

"How many are there?" asked Nara Shikaku as Yamanaka Inoichi rose to consciousness.

"Nothing we can't handle." Said the blonde haired man and the Nara nodded.

Slowly the both of them led the two ANBU teams closer towards where the small detachment of enemy troops were camped. Shikaku didn't like it, but there was no way he was going to put the villagers at risk all because he was a bit lazy to go and take out an enemy force.

Troublesome was the only word he thought before he set to planning the quick death of the fifty or so ninja that were camped in front of him.

X—X—X—X—X

Tenten watched as Sakura dashed towards her at top speed and reached her hand into the scroll pouch she had on the small of her back. Once Sakura was about fifteen paces away, Tenten pulled out the scroll, spreading it out in front of her so that it faced the onrushing girl.

Sakura was only barely able to dodge the projectiles as they rushed towards her, the pink haired genin weaving through the oncoming weapons.

Tenten let go of the scroll, immediately picking out another scroll in which she had sealed more projectile weapons, adding the weapons in it to the hail of metal already streaming towards her opponent. She was caught off guard as Sakura neatly rolled over to her side before running for her, straight through the weapons in flight.

Tenten cursed slightly as she saw her opponent block and deflect a path through her projectiles before coming up with a plan to stop the other genins advance. She pulled out another scroll, this time one that was covered with a red piece of paper compared to the normal green scroll she used to seal her weapons. This little difference did not manage to avert the notice of Sakura even though the younger genin rushed on as if she had noticed nothing.

Tenten smiled as she unleashed the remaining kunai in the green scroll in a cloud of metal, as she reached into her pouch and pulled out the second red scroll in it.

She would wait till Sakura dodged or blocked the cloud of kunai headed her way and it would be then that Tenten would put the younger genin in a world of pain.

X—X—X—X—X

Haruno Sayaki sat in her seat, her heart beating as fast as it could go. She had seen her daughter rush towards her opponent straight from the beginning and been constantly driven back by the numerous weapons being thrown at her. She watched in fright as the cloud of kunai flew towards her daughter and prayed to Kami that Sakura was not injured.

Sayaki managed a look towards Tenten and saw the smirk on the elder girls face as she held her scrolls in both hands. It was obvious that the weapons user had something in mind if Sakura was able to dodge or block the hail of kunai. Sayaki held her breath and prayed to every god possible to keep her daughter safe.

X—X—X—X—X

Naruto watched as Sakura formed a couple of hand seals before slamming her hands on the ground in front of her as she intoned her jutsu. "Doton! Doroku Gaeshi! (Earth Release! Earth Return Shore!)" yelled Sakura as a slab of earth rose, shielding her from the oncoming Kunai.

The boy couldn't help but smile at the girl's usage of the jutsu. _Holding back are we Sakura-chan? Don't want to show me your moves eh? _Thought the boy but was interrupted when Lee's voice spoke.

"Gomen Naruto-kun but it seems as if this is the end of Sakura-sans tournament."

The blond boy glanced back. "Why do you say that Lee?" asked the younger genin.

"Those red scrolls." Said Lee. "It looks as if Tenten is going to go for the Soshoryu."

Not long after Lee's words there was a shout from the arena. Something that sounded very close to "Soshoryu: Bakuyaku Ame! (Rising Twin Dragons, Explosive Rain)"

Naruto turned back to the fight going on and smiled to himself. Of all people, Naruto knew to never predetermine the outcome of a fight and this one could be in for an upset. He just would have to wait and watch to see what happens.

X—X—X—X—X

Sakura stood behind the slab of earth as she heard the kunai embed into the wall, protecting her from the oncoming cloud of kunai. However, an explosion sent her ducking as the slab was broken into many pieces. Another kunai came through the rain of the debri, landing at her feet, only the hiss of the exploding tag warning her of the explosion to come.

Sakura dived away only to find that more explosive kunai came at her where ever she ran. Sakura immediately shunshined towards Tenten, running around in a spiral towards the mid air girl. By the time Sakura had circled the elder genin twice, Tenten was already out of kunai, both scrolls exhausted.

The elder girl landed, immediately whipping out another scroll as she unsealed a pair of tonfa that she always kept for close quarter combat. The smoke from her last few explosions still hadn't cleared and she had lost sight of Sakura.

A flash of pink coming towards her alerted Tenten to the girls movement, the weapon user deftly side stepping the wild charge in order to plant the shorter end of the tonfa on the back of Sakura's skull yet her smug face changed to one of horror as her hand passed through the still moving Sakura.

_Bunshin! _Tenten realized as soon as her tonfa hit empty air but it was already too late to stop the blow. Sakura suddenly appeared in front of Tenten, ramming a solid fist into the weapon user's face. Blood spurt from Tenten's broken nose as the girl staggered back clutching at it, allowing Sakura to press the advantage. A kick to the face spun Tenten around and right into the sole of the rapidly moving Sakura's boot.

Lee and Neji watched from the contestants box as Tenten's head snapped back violently, her eyes rolling into her skull as she fell unconscious from the battering.

Hayate was the first ninja on the scene apart from Sakura as he checked Tenten's vitals as well as if she could continue. The Jounin stood up and gave a very approving look towards Sakura before he spoke into his microphone, the speakers in the arena amplifying his voice.

"Winner of the first bout by knock-out. Haruno Sakura!"

A loud cheer went up as Hayate declared the winner, Sayaki as well as Ino jumping up and down in delight. Naruto smiled before he looked at Lee, deciding not to push the green clad boy who's mouth hung open like a lantern with its flap open. Sakura however, simply exited the arena after Tenten's stretcher bearers, not interested in the adulation she was receiving. All that mattered to her was that she had won and was now one step closer to the finals and hopefully fighting her boyfriend.

X—X—X—X—X

"Yosh! I guess it's time for my match!" said Kiba as he stood up and stretched.

"You seem eager." Noted Sakura as she walked up the stairs and took her seat next to Naruto.

Kiba gave her a slight laugh. "Yeah, I guess it's easier to go into a fight having nothing to lose." He said. "At least by the end of this, I will know what my weaknesses are in taijutsu." Said the Inuzuka as he took to the stairs soon followed by the spandex clad figure of Lee.

"Nice fight. Congratulations." Said Naruto as he finally managed to give her some attention. Sakura thought that it would have been slightly romantic had it not been for Shikamaru adding a "same" to the end of it.

Sakura mumbled a thank you as all three averted their eyes towards the field and the two taijutsu users facing off. The way things were looking, it was going to be a fast and bloody match, thought the girl. _I'm glad I did not show them so much of my newfound moves. They will sure come in handy when I fight Lee._

X—X—X—X—X

Lee and Kiba stood on the crater ridden arena floor staring into each others eyes, a maniacal grin spread upon Kiba's face as Akamaru growled at Lee.

"Second Match, Rock Lee from Konoha versus Inuzuka Kiba from Konoha! Begin!" Came Hayate's voice over the speakers, the two genin blurring into action.

Lee ran at the Inuzuka duo, leaping at them with a leg raised high. Kiba leapt back as Akamaru leapt high into the air, landing on Kiba's back, immediately growing and changing into a lifelike clone of Kiba, the "Jyuujin Bunshin" taking effect.

The duo attacked, one from a side, each with neat kicks and punches as they tried to land a blow on the fast moving Lee.

"It looks like Kiba has been training for this." Stated Sakura and Naruto could not help but nod.

"Seems like they both have trained in proper taijutsu." Stated Shikamaru as he sat lazily in his seat.

"Yeah. I just hope Kiba has also trained in speed or else he is going to be no match for Lee." Added Naruto, causing Neji to glare at him slightly. _How does he know that Lee is faster than he lets on? _thought Neji.

A kick towards the head caused Lee to lean back, another swipe to his legs from Akamaru making him flip backwards. The next punch to come at him was caught by his bandaged hand, a kick to his midsection blocked by a raised knee. Lee vanished as the Inuzuka duo rushed at him, appearing a few meters away from his opponent.

Rock Lee slipped into his ready stance, his mind set on the tactic to use. Dodging the duo's blows meant that Lee was always on the back foot, moving away from the attacks and never attacking. Blocking them meant that they were going no where, Kiba and Akamaru combined would keep his hands too busy blocking to come up with a counter strike. That left only one option, he would need to evade the blows, coming up with quick counter responses so that it gave Kiba and Akamaru something to think about.

Lee sidestepped the next punch to come in, one hand guiding the punch away from him as he raised his knee to meet Kiba's stomach. His knee met Kiba's other hand as it grabbed him and allowed Akamaru to land a solid kick in Lee's face. The kick, coupled with a pull on Lee's leg, made the spandex clad genin fall to the ground where he kicked off Kiba with the use of both his legs. It seemed as if the numbers advantage was working well for Kiba and Akamaru and Lee knew that he would have to even things out.

Lee ducked a Tsuuga as it barreled over his head, one hand quickly unclasping the hook that held his weights in place. A swing saw the heavy iron bars head towards the onrushing Kiba, slamming into his midsection with a resounding thwack. Kiba was barely able to heave the set of weights off of him as the other pair landed right next to him.

Though the short fall left no mark on the ground that told them about how heavy the weights were, the distance the weights travelled before the hit the ground spoke for itself. Naruto and Sakura both decided that these weights were about the same weight as their seals. The only difference was that the two genin from team 7 wore them all over their bodies and not only their legs. Matched on speed, Naruto knew that the one to win the fight between Sakura and Lee would be the one who managed to bring something other than taijutsu in to play and Naruto was sure that by now, Sakura would have learnt a small arsenal of jutsu herself.

The attention shifted back to the battle as Kiba and Akamaru rushed at Lee, faster than before, this time with added vengeance, yet the elder genin dodged each swipe as cleanly as he could. Lee suddenly vanished from his spot, appearing next to Kiba as he slammed his foot into the side of Kiba's head. The Inuzuka was still in midair when Lee appeared in front of Akamaru before he rammed a knee into the dog's stomach.

A tell tale puff of smoke signaled the cancel of the Bunshin, the little puppy falling to the floor with a whimper, unconscious and out of the battle. A roar alerted Lee to the now furious Kiba as the Inuzuka launched himself at Lee without a thought in the world. Lee barely managed to dodge the first swipe of his clothes, not expecting Kiba to speed up so quickly, the Inuzuka's claws ripping the spandex.

Lee flipped backwards, allowing Kiba to push the momentum, as he fought to find a rhythm to Kiba's moves. If there was anything in taijutsu, there was always a pattern. A pattern of punches and kicks, once deciphered, would leave that person in deep trouble. A punch came towards Lee, a punch that should rather be called a thrust rather than a punch as it came towards Lee all fingers spread wide, claws out.

Lee ducked under the claw strike, the solid thud of a fist slamming into Kiba's stomach echoing through the stadium. Lee didn't stop, instead he grabbed Kiba around his waist before ramming a couple of hard knees into the younger genin.

Kiba fell to the floor, writhing in pain, as he clutched at his surely broken ribs. There was no doubt about his injuries, the pain from his ribs spreading through out his body like wildfire. Surely, the fight was over.

A team of medics rushed out of the arena entrance as they raced towards Kiba, the voice of Gekkou Hayate sounding from the speakers set inside the arena.

"Winner of the second bout. Rock Lee of Konoha!" said the Tokubetsu Jounin as he finally appeared on the arena floor himself.

Lee excused himself before he was given permission, taking to the stairs without even a word or taunt leaving his mouth as he rejoined Neji. "It seems as if Tenten's loss has affected him a lot." Stated Shikamaru to no one in particular, all their eyes settling upon the two Hyuuga scheduled to fight next.

"Third bout, Hyuuga Hisemi from Konoha! Versus Hyuuga Neji from Konoha!" came Hayate's voice and Neji immediately headed towards the stairs. Hisemi waited ten seconds before he took to the stairs himself.

_Ah well. _ Thought Naruo as he turned around, his eyes looking around for the two contestants. _At least this way we get to know what the bad blood is between those two._

X—X—X—X—X

Hehehe… chapter 20 done! :D

Narudevilfan : this fic is all about Sakura and Naruto. Even though there are some characters who do play an important role, I feel Haku being on the same team as the other two would minimize the attention the both of them got.

Review please!


	21. Chapter 21: Second Set of Fights

Hon3ydew: I know… it felt so short to me as well… but somehow it did not feel as good when I prolong the fight. I guess the story wants it to be a quick knock out punch…

Kung Fu Truffle: Sorry about the fights… I don't know how to explain it… and as for the blond thing… Ino is Sakura's best friend… I think it would be obvious to Sakura that Naruto is no relation to Ino.

MKTerra: hmmm… I'm not entirely sure about Naruto's outfit but Sakura's has already changed… maybe you should go back and read.

Salamander Hanzo: umm… I don't really understand German… so if you would please comment in English…

Bub23453: read and find out ;)

Naruto: (weird talking to the main character of my story :/ ) yeah I understand, your opinion maybe different from anyone elses but I treasure it none the less… and Sakura has NOT found out yet, she has linked it but not confirmed it… Don't worry though… even if Sakura finds out, maybe Naruto won't

Bathman: hehehe me too me too… though I'm pretty sure neither of them will go full out yet.

My advice to all you writers out there… A story is like life… you have to live it from the beginning to be able to write every single twist and turn it takes… and like life, the story will never tell you what is coming up next… have a plot sure, but do not limit yourself to strict guidelines, let your story play out by itself, as you would let your life play out itself. Taking charge does not mean you dictate each and every step of it.

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 21: Bad Blood

"Oto-san." Spoke a tiny voice in the spectator stands and Hyuuga Hiashi looked to his right at his youngest daughter, Hanabi. "Who is that boy?" she asked as she pointed towards Hisemi. "His name has our family name, yet I have not seen him in our compound."

"Neither have I." spoke Hinata who sat on the other side of Hanabi.

Hiashi frowned as he looked upon Hisemi. Somehow the boy seemed familiar to him, yet Hiashi could not place his finger on who the boy was.

"I do not know." Was all the Hyuuga clan head could say to both of his daughters. "I do not know."

The words that her father spoke worried Hinata for she knew that Hiashi was one not to miss anything that happened to any one of their clan, be it main branch or common branch.

"Second Match! Begin!" came Hayate's voice and the three Hyuuga in the stands averted their eyes towards the arena.

_Maybe we will find out during the course of this match_. Thought Hiashi.

X—X—X—X—X

"Byakugan!" yelled both Hisemi and Neji at the same time, both activating their clan Doujutsu straight from the start. Neji slipped into the Jyuuken stance, ready for Hisemi to attack him. However, the elder Hyuuga was caught off guard by Hisemi's next move.

"How do you know the Jyuuken?" asked Neji, shocked as he saw Hisemi slip in to the exact same stance.

"How else? I'm a Hyuuga just like you." Said Hisemi a smile on his face.

"Imposter!" spat Neji. "No Hyuuga have brown eyes like you!" he said as he charged Hisemi, the two exchanging Jyuuken blows.

"I am every bit of a Hyuuga just as much as you are!" roared Hisemi as he pushed Neji back, dodging and countering the blows his elder family member gave him.

"Genjutsu! You are no Hyuuga!" retorted Neji as they continued their exchange of both blows and words.

"And you are the one to decide?" hissed Hisemi as he flashed through the hand seals for the Goukakyuu, unleashing a large ball of flame at Neji.

"No Hyuuga would need ninjutsu!" Said Neji before he started spinning around, a dome of chakra appearing around him as it blocked the oncoming fireball.

"Hakkeshou Kaiten!" yelled Neji as he completed his defensive Jutsu.

Hisemi just laughed as he rushed in towards Neji, chakra gathered in his palm. "Unlike you, I do not plan to limit my strength just because I will not learn other jutsu!"

X—X—X—X—X

Meanwhile in the stands, Hyuuga Hiashi was having the most surprising day of his life. Not only was there a non pale eyed Hyuuga boy on the field, but Neji, a branch member had learnt one of the Main branch Jutsu's the Kaiten.

"Father, how does Neji-nii-san know the Kaiten?" asked Hanabi, the ever curious one.

"It seems he has learnt it himself." Said Hiashi.

"Hello Hiashi-kun." Came a female voice and Hiashi's eyes widened. The Hyuuga clan head turned around in his seat very slowly, coming face to face with one woman he had thought dead.

"Himiko." He breathed as he laid his eyes on the woman. "How? I thought you were dead."

Masamo Himiko took the empty seat behind Hiashi. "A simple body double, Hiashi-kun. Did you think it was so easy for them to kill me?" she asked with a smile.

"But Hizashi thought." He said but Kimiko interrupted.

"Hizashi knew. He hid it from you for good reason. What you did not know you could not tell even under the most painful of torture. He was the only one that knew from your clan and then came along the Cloud incident."

"He took my place to keep you safe?" asked Hiashi.

"No. He took your place to keep you safe. He loved you more than he loved either of us."

"Why did you not come back Himiko-chan? Neji's life would have been much more different with his mother around."

"I'm sorry Hiashi-kun. Hizashi asked me not to go, he asked me to take care of Hisemi, not to make the mistakes we made when we raised Neji."

"Hisemi?"

"It is a wonderful thing, Hiashi-kun. Wonderful but scarier than anything else in the world. To watch both your children fight each other. Something you will understand when you see Hinata and Hanabi fight each other."

"You mean that Neji is fighting his younger brother?" spoke Hiashi as his head snapped back to the fight going on.

Himiko nodded, smiling. "Isn't it wonderful?" she asked. "Neji is no longer an only child."

X—X—X—X—X

Hisemi and Neji traded blows, Jyuuken against Jyuuken, kunai against kunai. Each dodging and countering the other's blows.

"Imposter!" yelled Neji as he increased the chakra output in each of his strikes. "You have no caged bird seal! And every Hyuuga knows that the ones who do not get it are the main branch!"

Hisemi dodged the first blow, adjusting the chakra he fed to his body. "At least you had a clan! I was not even allowed in!" spat back Hisemi as the younger boy attacked his brother with renewed vigor.

"A clan?" laughed Neji, as he blocked every attack Hisemi threw at him. "You wouldn't call them a clan if you had been the one living with them!"

Hisemi was slightly taken aback at Neji's statement. The Hyuuga were one of the strongest and famous clans in all of Konoha. How could it be that Neji despised them?

Neji, seeing the confusion in Hisemi's eyes, stepped back before taking off his Hitai-ate and revealing the caged bird seal.

"You know what this is?" asked the elder Hyuuga genin. "This is the caged bird seal. A seal that is given to all branch members of the clan, a seal that is given to each and every one of us, so that the main branch members can control us. One hand seal is all they need to send us into a world of pain and possibly to our deaths. Fate has made us slaves to the head family of the clan, slaves that could be tortured if they don't obey their orders. Slaves that can be killed and sacrificed, much like my father before me."

Hisemi was still in shock about Neji's revelation when the Hyuuga took a different stance. "You are within my range of divination." Intoned the boy as he charged Hisemi, delivering sixty four hits before the younger and less experienced genin could mount a defence.

Hisemi fell to the floor, barely able to move. It was not the attack that left him in such a helpless position. No, it was the mere fact that the loving clan he had always imagined had turned out to be cruel slavers. Hisemi fell to the floor, with no bones broken, but his dreams shattered.

X—X—X—X—X

Hyuuga Hiashi watched as Neji spoke out to the world, tears trying to fight their way down his cheeks.

The clan leader stood up from his seat and made for the stairs when a soft voice stopped him.

"Oto-san? Where are you going?" asked Hinata.

Hiashi looked at his elder daughter, the one he had mistreated, the one that had proved him wrong during the second phase. He had seen the determination that was strong in Hinata as she fought Sakura and he had realized then that it had been him that had not given her anything to fight for, him that had not given her something to aim for.

"I am going to do something I should have done a long time ago, Hinata-chan. For your mother, and my brother." He said, giving one final look towards Himiko as he walked down the stairs.

Himiko stood up as well, following Hiashi.

"What are you going to do?" she asked as she caught up with the clan head.

"Apologize to my nephews." Said Hiashi. Himiko could clearly hear the pain in his voice.

"For what?" she asked.

"For letting their lives be hell on earth."

X—X—X—X—X

"Proctor. This match is over." Said Neji as he turned away from Hisemi's fallen body.

"This… is not… over." Grunted the younger genin as he stood up groggily. Neji turned around, his face an angry scowl.

"Know when you have been fated to lose." He said as he charged, his index finger and the middle finger the only ones fully stretched in the classic Jyuuken style.

Hisemi let the blow slip past his cheek as the younger genin tried to ram a knee into Neji's stomach. Neji caught the knee as Hisemi caught Neji's arm, the both of them struggling to break free from the other.

"Never." Hissed Hisemi. "If I have learnt anything in my time being a ninja assigned to a team, it is that fate never decides anything about you. It simply gives you an option. Fight, be it to change things or defend things and people, or run simply blaming destiny for every slight that had been made to you. I choose to fight, I will fight for my dreams and for my precious people and you will not be the one to end my fight!"

Hisemi smiled in Neji's face as his free hand came up touching Neji's chest with the palm.

"Hakkeshou: Gekitai. (Eight Trigrams Palm: Repulse)" Was all the words Hisemi said as both of the boys went flying apart, slamming into the wall of the arena, the force of the repulsion driving them a few feet into them.

Hayate immediately formed a clone as he ran towards Hisemi, the clone immediately moving to inspect the form of Neji. Hisemi was out cold, by Hayate's estimates, with a few broken bones and in dire need of a medic. Neji was in a similar state but still conscious, the clone dispelled, telling Hayate that neither of the boys would be able to fight any further.

A team of doctors rushed onto the field, two stretchers each heading for a boy. They wasted little time in extracting the bodies before rushing out faster than they had came in.

"As neither contestant is able to continue any further, this match has been declared a draw!" spoke Hayate and the crowd erupted into murmurs.

X—X—X—X—X

In the contestant's seats, both Naruto and Shikamaru stood up to walk down to the arena. The intensity of the wait, the pressure as the both of them came up with scenarios and strategies to beat each other, had finally gotten under their skin, each of them eager to get on with the battle.

Sakura was the first to note that she would be virtually left alone with Gaara and Lee and she stood up in a hurry as well, stating that she wanted to go and see how Hisemi was doing. Unbeknownst to many, both Naruto and Sakura had developed an easy going relationship with the so called half-ling during their days in Wave and they had kept in contact over the weeks since their return. Sakura decided that they least she could do was visit him in the infirmary.

X—X—X—X—X

Inside the infirmary, once the doctors had deemed Hisemi stable, everyone left the room, letting the two boys rest. Hyuuga Neji closed his eyes as he fought the pain of the impact. The technique was an altogether new technique, one of immense strength, yet one he had never heard of. One that definitely belonged to the ninja of his clan. Neji knew that only the main branch members were the ones that were taught the Hakkeshou techniques, their secrets guarded even more tightly than the Kaiten.

A shadow fell across his face and Neji opened his eyes and saw the face of Hyuuga Hiashi staring down at him. Neji flinched as Hiashi's hand touched his arm lightly, but it was not until Hiashi spoke that he calmed down.

"Calm down Neji-kun. If I wanted to kill you, I could have just activated your seal." He said.

Neji looked at Hiashi. Was it just him or did he actually hear some sorrow in the clan heads voice.

"I wish to apologize to my nephew, on the death of his father, and more importantly, on how bad his uncle has failed him."

Neji's eyes were wide open by now, the tears that fell from Hiashi's eyes as clearly visible as rain on a stormy day.

"I wish to apologize on failing to prevent the seal being placed on you. I wish to apologize, for failing to stand up against my brother as he took my place."

"You… you did nothing to stop him." spoke Neji as he closed his eyes once more. No, he wouldn't believe it.

"It is true, Neji-kun." Spoke a voice, a voice that he had not heard for many years, a voice that he remembered as clear as daylight.

A face came into view on the other side of Neji's face, the face in the picture he held dearly every night, a face that he had seen smiling at his fathers side when he was a boy.

"Kaa-san." He said. "Am I dying?" he asked.

People always said that they only saw their most loved departed ones only when they were close to dying themselves.

"No. You are not." She spoke as she caressed his cheek. "I am sorry my son, for leaving you just as your father did. Your uncle is not at fault. It was your father that drugged him into sleep that very night and he was the only one who ran to the site and cradled your father's headless body."

Neji heard a sob and turned his gaze to Hiashi and saw the clan head's body racking with sobs as he cried.

"But worry not, me and your brother are here with you now, and we will not leave you again, ever." She said as she gave Neji a kiss on the forehead, the exact place he had never ever thought he would be touched or kissed.

"Brother?" asked Neji, still too weak to form complete sentences.

"Yes, Neji-kun. You have your father's eyes, he has mine. Yet you two are born of the same blood, two years apart."

"Hisemi?" croaked Neji as he looked over to his opponent, struggling to stand up and walk over to him.

"Rest, Neji-kun. You will have enough time to catch up with him. But first you must rest." Said Himiko in a soothing voice and soon, Hyuuga Neji was asleep.

"If only you had come sooner, Himiko-chan." Said Hiashi as he wiped his eyes. "Maybe we all could have had better lives."

X—X—X—X—X

Sakura had the misfortune of arriving in the infirmary the same time as Hiashi said the last words. The pink haired girl eeped audibly as she discovered that she was interrupting a moment.

Hiashi's head turned to face her and Sakura reddened.

"I can go back upstairs if you would like Hyuuga-sama." She said in a timid voice.

Hiashi smiled. "Now, isn't that attitude a bit meek for someone who soundly beat the Hyuuga heir in the preliminaries?"

"I just came to check up on Hisemi, Hyuuga-san. With your permission, I would like to give him an over all scan." Finished the girl.

"Sure Sakura." Go ahead, spoke Kimiko and the pink haired genin walked forward.

"You know medical ninjutsu?" asked Hiashi, his interest piqued.

"The basics, Hyuuga-sama, only enough to keep myself and my team mate alive. I'm afraid there isn't a proper medic-nin in the village to train me." Said the girl as a green glow formed around her hand.

Hiashi watched in amazement as the girl hovered her hand all over Hisemi's body before the glow disappeared.

"Well?" asked Hiashi.

"The good news is that he hasn't suffered any fatal injuries."

"And the bad news?" asked Himiko.

"His spine has fractured in multiple places, he will heal, but I don't think he will be able to continue being a shinobi."

"There is no chance of correcting this?" asked Hiashi, eager to make up for the slights he had done to his nephews.

"I cannot say Hyuuga-sama. You would have to ask someone the stature of Tsunade-sama for an answer to that question."

It was then that Hayate's voice cut through the murmur of the crows.

"Fourth Bout, Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha against Nara Shikamaru of Konoha. Are you both ready?"

"It seems as if your team mate is about to fight. Are you not interested in watching it?" asked Hiashi.

"Truth to be told, I am. I have heard that Shikamaru is a hard man to fight against due to his tactical ability. But, I do not trust the others in the contestant box, that is why I am not there at this very second."

"Would you like to come sit with us then?" offered Kimiko.

"I thank you for your offer." Said Sakura bowing. "But I am not too sure Hinata would be pleased with that."

"Nonsense." Spoke Hiashi. "If nothing, that girl needs to learn from you. I insist that you come along."

Sakura was trapped. Here was the Hyuuga clan head inviting her to come with them to watch Naruto's match and she knew that it would look bad on her if she refused. So, nodding, Haruno Sakura followed Hyuuga Hiashi and Himiko up to their seats to watch her boyfriend's match with a girl who had a crush on him.

X—X—X—X—X

Sakura was barely able to sit down next to Kimiko when Hayate gave the signal to begin. Naruto kicking things off, forming some Kage Bunshin as the five of them rushed Shikamaru.

The Nara immediately leapt backwards, throwing some kunai which the Kage Bunshin dodged easily as they continued towards him. Shikamaru leapt and bounded from place to place, drawing the five Kage Bunshin closer and closer towards him.

Naruto noticed that Shikamaru wore his kunai pouch on his left side rather than his right and smiled. _Nice plan Shika,_ thought the blond boy as he let his Kage bunshin be drawn in closer before Shikamaru used his trademark Kage Mane no Jutsu. With one flick of his left wrist, Shikamaru dispatched all five clones, shuriken dropping to the floor as they disappeared.

Shikamaru cursed as all the Kage Bunshin vanished in puffs of smoke. He cursed Naruto for knowing the technique, he cursed Naruto for knowing that Shikamaru did not have as much chakra as he did, he cursed Naruto for making him waste such vital chakra on a few clones.

Shikamaru chose to position himself behind a tree as he adopted his strategizing position, trying to play out every move possible and come up with a winning strategy. He was about to get a fix on one when a kunai embedded itself next to his year making him instantly lose track of his thoughts.

Shikamaru ducked behind the tree as a dozen more kunai embedded itself beside the first one and before he knew it Shikamaru was on the run again, avoiding kunai and dodging falling clones, taking out a few in the process.

The Nara stole a quick glance at the sun and noted how slow it was setting. _Just a little more_, He urged himself, _just a little more and we'll have the upper hand._

X—X—X—X—X

"What is he doing?" asked Hanabi in wonder as they saw Naruto chain the Fuuton: Reppuushou along with the Kage Shuriken no Jutsu. "Doesn't he know that he is just wasting chakra?"

"N-Naruto-kun." Whispered Hinata, worried about the object of her affection as she saw him try attack after attack against the Nara.

"Naruto has more chakra than you can imagine." Spoke Sakura. "You must have noticed, right Hinata?"

Hyuuga Hiashi smirked inwardly as he saw his daughter give the pink haired genin a glance. No, Hinata had not noticed and it seemed as if Sakura was driving the point home. It looked as if they were both fighting over him.

"Your boyfriend is quite amazing, Haruno-san." Said Hiashi causing Hinata to elicit a slight gasp at his acknowledgement. "It seems he has mastered the Kage Bunshin to a limit that he no longer needs the intonation nor the handseal to form one. It will be quite interesting to see what else he has up his sleeve."

"Just like Arashi." Spoke Himiko.

"Arashi?" asked Sakura, the name reaching her ear.

"Just a friend we had when we were Jounin." Said Hiashi, dismissing the name. "He was quite unpredictable much like Uzumaki over there."

Hiashi was not worried in any way over Sakura's interest in Arashi. No one but someone who had been friends with them and Minato would know the nickname they had for him. Minato's unpredictability had been one of the reasons they had started to call him Arashi in the first place, playing a pun on the fact that Arashi was like the lightning, hitting places and things randomly, yet with lethal force. It had been one of the names they had made after he had been coined the Yellow Flash of Konoha.

_He reminds me of you so much, Minato. I wish you were here to see your legacy. You would be so proud._

X—X—X—X—X

Nara Shikamaru sighed as the sun finally reached a suitable height, the shadows covering his half of the arena.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I'm afraid it's time I stopped playing with you." Said the pineapple haired boy.

Naruto stood in the sun, a little confused until he saw a tendril of shadow snake out at him. The boy made a run, but Shikamaru's shadow caught him before he could jump to safety.

"I see. So that's how your jutsu works." Said Naruto with a smile. "No matter how you stretch it or turn it, your shadow can only cover the same area that it covers normally."

"I'm impressed Naruto. I never thought the Dobe would be the one to figure out my secret."

"Oh it wasn't so hard. I noticed that your shadow had more range as time went along, since you increased the number of clones you destroyed each time."

"That's very good Naruto." Complimented Shikamaru as he put his hand in an imaginary pouch before picking up something, Naruto's arm mimicking the same movements but instead putting his hand in the kunai pouch and bringing up a kunai to his own throat. The crowd gasped as they saw the Kunai at the boy's throat, among them one Hyuuga Hinata.

"It seems your boyfriend has lost this match, Sakura." Said Himiko.

"No, I don't think so." Stated Sakura as a matter of fact.

"He has a kunai to his throat, how can you say he has not lost?" asked Hiashi curious.

In response Sakura simply unbuckled her kunai pouch before handing it to Hiashi, who studied the very lightweight pouch and caught sight of the seal in it.

"A seal?" he asked and saw Sakura nod.

"Naruto came up with a way to seal Kunai in our pouches as well as our gloves, so that we could have an almost endless supply yet not be burdened by their weight. Shikamaru has no idea about the seal, I have not told a single person and I'm sure neither has Naruto."

"So you mean to tell me that the Nara was able to trap Uzumaki because he let the boy trap him?"

"Exactly." Said Sakura as she took back her pouch.

X—X—X—X-X

"Forfeit Naruto. You have lost." Spoke Shikamaru

"No." said Naruto as he struggled to free himself from the shadow bind.

"Why? It is clear that you have lost. Don't make me slit your throat." Said the Nara.

Naruto laughed out loud. "I haven't lost by a long shot Shika. You forgot about one clone of mine." Said the blond boy.

"Which one?" asked the Nara, curious.

"Me." Said the clone before it impaled itself on the kunai, vanishing in a puff of smoke.

_Shit! I've been tricked! _Was all that Shikamaru was able to think before a dark blur broke out of the ground, a long pink tongue binding him tightly.

"Gomen, Shikamaru." Came the voice of Naruto as he appeared in front of the stunned Nara. A blur appearing behind Shikamaru knocking him in the back of the head with the hilt of a sword.

Once Naruto was sure that Shikamaru was out cold, he spoke to the two that had come to aid him in the fight.

"Gamazuka, Gamakyou, Arigato. You may leave now."

The two toads vanished almost immediately, the crowd in a stunned silence before they rose, clapping and cheering.

X—X—X—X—X

Sakura jumped up along with the crowd and the Hyuuga's as they gave the winner a standing ovation at his performance.

Sakura barely heard Hiashi's words through the din before she ran downstairs.

"My apologies, Haruno-san, it seems I have underestimated Uzumaki."

X—X—X—X—X

"Winner of the fourth bout, Uzumaki Naruto!" came Hayate's voice, followed by a loud cheer.

A blushing Naruto quickly took to the stairs, stopping halfway as a screaming Sakura jumped into his arms, giving him a deep kiss. It was not until a minute later that both of the realized that they were actually kissing each other. The couple separated immediately, full blushes on their faces just in time for Nara Shikamaru to walk up to join them.

"What are you two blushing for? It's not like you did something you shouldn't." said the Nara as he walked on, passing them by.

The two blushed furiously as they realized that Shikamaru had seen them, but soon got their faces under control. The two ran up behind Shikamaru, Naruto the one to speak to the now conscious boy.

"You okay Shika? I hope Gamakyou didn't hit you too hard." He said.

"No. That's fine." Replied Shikamaru as he found a seat in one of the back rows. "Besides, who expected you to know how to summon toads." He said.

Sakura had seen the summons at work and she now realized that Naruto himself had improved as much as she had. Shikamaru was right, not even her who knew him the best had expected him to summon a pair of toads to win the fight.

Naruto laughed nervously. "I was quite scared really. Those two are normally summoned for assassination missions and summoned only when required to kill. I was worried Gamakyou might put his blade in you."

Sakura saw Shikamaru pale at the news and couldn't help but burst into laughter herself. Sakura as well as Shikamaru himself was amazed that he had not peed his pants the moment Naruto had said they were assassin toads.

X—X—X—X—X

Inside the forests of Konoha, the Aburame clan withdrew from their section, racking up a number of twenty enemy shinobi dead. They withdrew only when their Kikaichuu started dying of chakra poisoning. A later report by Aburame Shibi stated that the Oto nin had impure chakra as if some experiment had been conducted with them and this chakra was poisonous to any Aburame bug that fed on it. The Aburame were deployed on a different section of the wall, from which direction they assumed that the Suna nin would attack from.

Likewise, Nara Shikaku and his ANBU squads fell back from their section when a group of five different Oto nin appeared and took control of the enemy detachment. They were asked by the Hokage to fall back to the edge of the forest where they lay in wait to ambush the oncoming forces. Konoha had few ninja after the Kyuubi's attack, the bijuu causing them huge losses and the Hokage could not risk their defences running thin because of their sorties.

Hatake Kakashi and a few of the ANBU captains waited patiently in different areas of Konoha waiting for the invasion to begin and for the enemy to fall into their traps. Konoha had the upper hand as well as the element of surprise over the invasion forces and they would be damned if they let Konoha fall during their watch.

X—X—X—X—X

"Hokage-sama." Spoke an ANBU member as he approached his leader. "There seems to be a problem. It seems that Uchiha Sasuke has not yet arrived."

Sarutobi sighed. Of all the people to cause him problems it was Sasuke, one of his own genin. To make things worse, he was the main reason that most of the villagers had attended the finals. They wanted to see the Rookie of the Year fight. They wanted to see the Last Uchiha use the Sharingan for the good of the village. They wanted to see the sole survivor of one of the strongest clans in Konoha history fight and destroy his opponent much like the other Konoha nin had done. And he was late.

"Are there no other fights that can take place?" asked the Kazekage. "I must say I am very interested to see how Uchiha fares against my best genin. Surely you do not wish to rob your village of such a spectacle."

"I am afraid not, Kazekage-sama. This match was arranged to be the last in the first round."

"Can we not start the second round?" asked the Kazekage and Sarutobi frowned.

"That would mean the same as disqualifying him."

Just then, the crowd started cheering and both Kage's looked down into the arena, to the place where one Uchiha Sasuke stood alongside a man, a man that the Hokage hated with all his heart. The old war hawk, Danzo.

X—X—X—X—X

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" came a voice from the speakers, one that definitely did not belong to Hayate. "Now for the moment you have all been waiting for! Suna's undefeated Sabaku no Gaara! Against our very own Rookie of the year, Uchiha Sasuke!"

The crowd roared at the mention of Sasuke's name, the raven haired boy waving to the crowd as Danzo calmly walked away. Sasuke loved every moment of it, the entrance, the cheers, and now, the crowds chanting of his name. This was what he had always wanted to be treated like. Royalty. Maybe he would come back to the adulation once he had had his revenge.

"Sabaku no Gaara, will you please step into the arena." Asked Hayate, the red head appearing across Sasuke in a burst of sand. The Kazekage looked down upon the demon container before he leaned back and whispered something to his guard.

_Get the men ready, it seems we might have to go sooner than planned._

X—X—X—X—X

BooyA! Another chapter done! And satisfied!

As always only one favour to ask…

REVIEW!


	22. Chapter 22: The invasion Begins

Darkhero21: Be patient my friend :D Sasuke's time will come.

JNottle: :) I do realize my mistake and I admit it was one… though I noticed it a bit too late to change… I'm sorry for that… I simply forgot that I had written it… but, things will soon be explained :)

Salamander Hanzo: Coconuts? I don't understand.

Awesome Eyes: hehe I guess you will ;)

Okay just to clear up some things before I begin.

Gamakyou and Gamazuka are the toad's assassin pair. Gamazuka, the latter part of the toad's name being taken from the Japanese word Azukari which means arrest, is the one in charge of immobilizing the target while Gamakyou, the latter part of his name taken from the word Kyoukan which means assassin, finishes the target off with his sword.

As for the jutsu, Hakkeshou: Gekitai is mainly a defensive jutsu used to repel large amounts of thrown weapons as well as weaker jutsu and sometimes, people. It is in reality very similar to Nagato's Shinra Tensei, the only difference being that the Gekitai cannot repel any and all attacks coming in towards the user. As for a delay, no such delay is yet to have been found in the Gekitai.

The reason for the knock out of both boys was that Hisemi used the jutsu while his chakra paths were blocked. He simply forced it out, much like Naruto opened his pathways with sheer chakra, without the proper technique and control and it backfired repelling both of them from each other. It has not been yet discovered if Hisemi's chakra pathways suffered any damage from this usage.

Okay… on to better things :P

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 22: The Invasion begins.

Naruto and Sakura had just managed to sit themselves down beside Himiko when the crowd began their chant of Sasuke's name, starting from a small part of the arena and quickly spreading across the spectators. The Uchiha's name soon echoing throughout the entire stadium.

Both the genin looked at each other and wondered how much the villagers worshipped the stuck up Uchiha. Who knows how bad it would be if Sasuke won the fight against the sand genin. Worse even, if Sasuke managed to win the entire tournament. Naruto knew that Sasuke had to be stopped before that time, one way or another, or things would simply go out of hand.

Elsewhere in the arena, most of the other Konoha genin were having the same thought minus stopping Sasuke. They had lost their admiration of the Uchiha the day that they had found out of his 'escape' tactic.

"Fifth match! Begin!" came Hayate's voice, distracting Naruto from his train of thoughtand the whole of the arena erupted in cheers.

X—X—X—X—X

Uchiha Sasuke was the first one to make a move in the fight, throwing some shuriken towards Gaara as he rushed in behind them. The crowd was watching him, urging him to show them his full skill as a ninja and Sasuke fully intended to destroy Gaara just for them. The Uchiha skidded as his Sharingan warned him of Gaara performing a technique, slowing him down enough so that he could flip to avoid the shuriken he had thrown.

Sasuke had little respite as a sand covered fist fizzed in front of his face, narrowly grazing him in the process. The form of Gaara rose from the sand and Sasuke used this chance to firmly embed his knee in the Suna nin's stomach.

Gaara allowed the Uchiha to hit the sand clone in the stomach, the sand clone dispersing itself. Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized that he had not taken into account of the Suna nin's mastery over sand. The Uchiha lashed out with his hand, dispersing the sand trying to gain a solid hold around his knee before jumping up and away. The sand however did not stay still, instead another sand clone forming appearing before it rushed at Sasuke. The Uchiha smirked, if it was a close quarters fight, then he knew that he had the edge over his opponent.

X—X—X—X—X

In the Kage's area, the Kazekage caught sight of a man with long white hair climbing up the stairs and his eyes widened. His arm quickly rose up to signal his guard.

His spy network had not informed him of Jiraiya's presence in Konoha and as such he had not taken into account his old team mates presence when he had planned the attack.

Jiraiya would complicate things, Orochimaru knew. Even though Jiraiya had been the slowest starter, he was not the weakest member of their team. Strategically sharp, Orochimaru knew that Jiraiya would have come up with one if not a few different plans to stop the invasion from happening.

"Alert the troops." He whispered. "We are being expected."

Orochimaru's eyes returned to the battle. Jiraiya's presence mattered not. Danzo's Root forces would shift the battle in his favor. If Danzo knew how to play things right, he added. In any case, Orochimaru would be able to isolate his sensei, the third Hokage, during this invasion. Snuff out any hope Konoha had of defeating him and that would leave Konoha wide open for a second try at invasion. Orochimaru's evil smile crept up on his face, only his sheer will power holding himself back from laughing out loud.

No matter. Konoha would lose a lot during the course of this day.

X—X—X—X—X

Aburame Shibi stood on the western side of the wall, the direction to which no delaying troops or ANBU had been dispatched by the Hokage. The Aburame clan leader watched as his Kikaichu alerted him to movement in the trees.

"Shino." He spoke and his son looked up at him from his side. "Your services are no longer required here." Stated Shibi

Shino nodded. He himself knew that he would only be a hindrance once the assault started. The boy took off without a single word, knowing exactly what his father wanted him to do.

Get to the arena and help his friends.

Shibi looked at the forest from where the Oto nin and Suna nin charged, the messenger from the Kazekage failing to arrive in time.

"Fellow Konoha Shinobi." Rang out Morino Ibiki's voice. "Stand tall and stand strong for we have the upper hand. For Konoha and the Hokage!"

The Jounin and the Chuunin on the walls immediately took up the cheer, the sound of it reaching the oncoming enemy forces.

It had finally begun.

X—X—X—X—X

Kakashi watched from near the stream as the main force ran towards them, fully unaware that an ambush had been set up for them.

Kakashi spoke into his communications bead. "Wait till the front of them is nearly on the shore." He said and got an affirmative click in reply.

The former ANBU captain ran through some hand seals as he placed his hand just above the stream.

The first three ranks of the enemy assault heard the words, "Horyuu Raika no Jutsu (Discharge Lightning Calamity Technique)" before a massive electric current burnt their lives out of their bodies.

The rest of the assault stopped, shocked and stunned by the brutality of the ambush.

"Baika no Jutsu! (Multi Size Technique)" yelled Choza as he performed one of his family jutsu's increasing the size of his body by multiple times.

The Akimichi immediately slammed his palm into the river, throwing up large amounts of water into the air.

This was Haku's cue, stepping behind the water wall before forming double handed seals.

"Sensatsu Suishou." (Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death)"

Kakashi watched as the spray of water halted in mid air, hardening into sharp slivers of ice.

Haku formed one more hand seal before yelling out the word "Hirogari (Spread)"

The spikes spread out, before they sped at the still shocked enemy forces. Once they had hit their marks, Kakashi signaled for the teams to move out and engage. Within seconds, the Konoha shinobi were amidst the enemy.

X—X—X—X—x

Nara Shikaku sat in the shadow of the tree as he watched the Oto nin race by him, the four which were known as the sound four in front with one mysterious other following behind. Shikaku put his hands together in a seal, waiting to invocate his jutsu and remove a number of the enemy forces heading towards his home village.

Timing was everything for Shikaku. It would be the difference between taking out two men and taking out two to three teams. It would be the difference between trapping someone that broke the hold and trapping people that would easily fall victim to his techniques. Most importantly, it would also be the difference between his life and death. Shikaku counted as the nin sped by, keeping track of just how many that were left to come.

"Kage Nui" were the only words to leave Shikaku's mouth before each member of the last two teams were impaled by shadow spikes coming out from every direction.

His kills confirmed, Nara Shikaku took off in another direction, hoping to beat the Oto nin to the wall without coming across them. If things turned worse, he was sure that Konoha would need every single able bodied ninja to help.

X—X—X—X-X

"What is he doing?" Sakura asked no one in particular as she watched the fight taking place below in the arena.

"It seems as if Sasuke-kun does not know his opponent that well." Stated Hiashi, watching the two genin trade jutsu's.

"Sasuke-kun has not seen Gaara-san fight. Maybe that is the reason." Piped in Hinata as she and Hanabi watched closely.

"No." came a new voice and the group turned to see Jiraiya standing near the stairs. "Danzo has an extensive spy network as large as my own, there is no way that his student will not be informed about his opponents techniques and strengths."

"Sakura wasn't talking about Sasuke." Said Naruto, his brows knitted together in a frown. "What is Gaara doing? This is nothing like the blood thirsty monster that we saw in the preliminaries."

Jiraiya smiled and Hiashi with his Byakugan did not miss it.

"So that means that Danzo is in league with the Kazekage in whatever they are planning." Stated Hiashi as he signaled a branch member of the clan.

"There is an attack coming anytime now." Stated Jiraiya.

"From whom?" asked Sakura.

"The combined forces of Oto and Suna as well as Danzo's Root. We've taken steps against the nin on the outside but it is the nin on the inside that we should be worried about." Replied Jiraiya.

Hiashi turned back to them as the branch member disappeared from sight, the gust of a shunshin the only sign of his movement.

"The Hyuuga clan is being mobilized as we speak, we shall help subdue this Root that you speak of."

Jiraiya nodded. "Arigato, Hiashi-sama." He said before he turned to Naruto. "Naruto, the Suna's strength lies in Gaara and his use of Shukaku. Assume that when worse comes to worse, Gaara will try to manifest it. If he does you are the only one apart from me and the Sandaime who can stop it and we will be busy with Orochimaru as well as Danzo."

Naruto nodded. "So you want me to stop Gaara if he breaks out of the stadium?"

"Yes. It is very likely that both Sasuke and Gaara will leave the stadium once the invasion starts. It is not in the Arena that Shukaku can cause the most damage but in the village itself. Sakura, you have to hold off Sasuke until Naruto beats Shukaku, he won't be able to take both of them at the same time."

X—X—X—X—X

Down inside the arena both Gaara and Sasuke were mock fighting, waiting for the genjutsu to fall on the arena so that they could make their move. The tell tale signs of the white feathers that would signal the invasion.

Uchiha Sasuke stopped, noticing that Gaara's sand was no longer coming after him. Instead, it had formed a dome shaped barrier around Gaara. He, for one, had no idea why Gaara had gone immediately from offensive to defensive in a matter of seconds. However, both Kankuro and Baki who were sitting in the stands realized what was happening.

Baki immediately signaled to a Suna nin to begin the hand seals for the genjutsu, hoping that the genjutsu fell into place in time.

The Suna Jounin turned to Kankuro. "We must move when the Genjutsu falls. Take Gaara into the forest, we must not allow him to fall to Konoha."

Kankuro nodded as he prepared himself to jump in the moment the genjutsu fell, he silently hoped that he would not need his puppets anytime soon.

X—X—X—X—X

"!" came a roar from Gaara as his sand shot outwards at incredible speed.

_Shit! _Thought Sasuke as he shunshined out of his way, his eyes firmly fixed on Gaara and staying on his guard in case Gaara launched another attack. It was during this focusing that he noticed the feathers falling all over the arena.

_Finally! _Thought Sasuke as the spectators started falling asleep, yet Sasuke had no time to relax, two Suna nin dragging Gaara off with them as they motioned for him to follow.

It seemed as if Orochimaru had plans for the both of them.

X—X—X—X-X

Meanwhile in the stands, the sound of a yawn broke through the group's discussion, white feather falling across the whole arena.

"Genjutsu." Said Jiraiya as the group including Hanabi dispelled the genjutsu.

"On guard." Warned Hiashi as he saw Baki and Kankuro jump into the arena. "It has begun."

"Naruto, Sakura, take Shikamaru and go after Sasuke and Gaara. You two are the only ones who can stop them." Said Jiraiya as he engaged a group of Oto nin that rushed at him.

Hiashi helped Jiraiya with them before he turned to Hinata. "Take your sister into the infirmary and keep your cousins safe, though I doubt Neji will die without a fight."

Hinata nodded before she ran down the stairs with Hanabi and Himiko close behind.

There was a loud boom as a plume of smoke arose from the direction of the Konoha gates and Jiraiya looked up to see three gigantic snakes towering above the arena.

"Orochimaru." Growled Jiraiya as he slammed a bright blue orb of chakra into an onrushing enemy nin.

"Jiraiya-sama!" came a call as a green blur took out another three ninja headed towards them. "Ibiki-san requests your help to deal with the summons."

"We can handle things here." Added in Hiashi as two quick Jyuuken strikes ended two more lives. Jiraiya nodded as he snapped the neck of one more Suna nin before he jumped on to the roof and off towards the gates.

It was then that Hyuuga Hiashi started noticing the Root forces taking part in the battle in the arena, Konoha Loyal versus Danzo's army. Hiashi shrugged. Roots entrance would complicate things but it still would not be enough. Konoha would simply refuse to go down like this.

X—X—X—X—X

Kakashi and his ANBU colleagues were in the midst of heated battle when Kakashi's ear piece crackled.

"Kakashi." Came Jiraiya's voice. "The Root have entered the battle against us. Order every Konoha loyal shinobi to fall back to defend the village."

A chill went down Kakashi's spine as the Sannin's words came to him. If Danzo had truly chosen this very moment to betray Konoha, then they would really need every bit of help that they could get.

"Hai, Jiraiya-sama. Is there anything else?" he asked in forethought.

"Yes, there is one more thing. Is there any way you can arrange for your students to be able to track Sabaku no Gaara."

Kakashi nodded though he knew Jiraiya would not be able to see him in any way and instead clicked his ear piece once.

"Choza!" he yelled as he ducked under the slice of a Katana before disemboweling the man. "Cover me!" said the silver haired Jounin as he bit his thumb before flashing through a long series of hand seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" came the cry as a small cloud of smoke appeared before a voice came out from it.

"Why did you summon me here, Kakashi? You know I am not a battle dog."

Both Kakashi and the small dog that came out of the smoke dodged as a sharp spike of earth rose up from where they were standing.

"Pakkun. I need you to find Naruto and guide him to Sabaku no Gaara." Said the Jounin as he dodged another oncoming jutsu. "Can you do that?" asked Kakashi as he looked at his summon.

"Consider it done." Said Pakkun before he ran off, weaving his way between battles and flying jutsu.

Kakashi sighed before he reached up to his ear piece again, clicking it three times on his team's frequency, the signal for the retreat. The former ANBU captain watched with pride as his sub-ordinates fell back systematically, taking kills and never forgetting that they were fleeing a battle ready enemy.

The enemy who were still shocked from the brutality of the ambush dared not chase the retreating Konoha nin in case that they were being led into another ambush. Kakashi's section of a total of twenty five nin managed to retreat inside the walls with only five casualties where they began another battle for the control of the village.

X—X—X—X-X

One level below Hiashi and Gai, Naruto and Sakura had finally reached the section that their friends were seated at. Once the arrived, they were pleased to see that most of them, except the injured were putting up a fight against the older and experienced Suna nin.

"Shika!" yelled Naruto as he slashed an Oto Chuunin across his stomach. "We need your help!"

Shikamaru was near Naruto in an instant, his hands in his family hand seal, immobilizing enemies with his shadows, giving his friends time to deal with them.

"Gaara?" he asked and Naruto nodded.

"There is only one problem." Said Naruto as both he and Sakura joined in the fray taking on both attacking Root and Oto forces.

"You don't know which way they went." Stated Shikamaru and Naruto could not help but nod again.

It was at that very moment that the small dog like form of Pakkun entered the Arena and presented himself to Naruto.

"Uzumaki Naruto." Spoke the dog and a barreling Kiba stopped to look at it.

"The dog talked?" asked Kiba, a bit surprised since he had never heard of a dog that could talk.

Pakkun snorted. "Of course I can talk. I'm a summon, not a household dog."

Naruto ducked as he kicked Kiba's legs from underneath him, saving his batch mate from a kunai that would have pierced Kiba's brain.

"You must be one of Kakashi sensei's then." Stated the blond as Sakura drove another kunai into the stomach of an on rushing Chuunin.

"He sent me along. Said you would need a guide to one Sabaku no Gaara." Said the small dog.

Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged brief glances yet it was Sakura that spoke, standing in front of Pakkun, her hand on her hip in a very ladylike manner

"Lead the way."

X—X—X—X—X

Sarutobi watched as the genjutsu fell upon the arena, watching the two clones Kakashi had left as his guards poof away as the Kazekage's guard killed them.

"How kind of Danzo to give you guards, Orochimaru." Spoke the Sandaime as he turned towards the Kazekage.

"ku ku ku." Laughed Orochimaru as he took off his hat, uncovering his new face. "As sharp as ever sensei. How did you know it was me?"

"I can taste your vile chakra a mile away." Said Sarutobi.

"Now, now Sensei, I was once your favorite student. I am sure you did not think my chakra vile back then." Said Orochimaru. "You two may leave now. Go kill some of your weakling shinobi, I will be the one to defeat the man known as the Professor."

The two Anbu members dashed to the arena floor, the Sandaime made to go after them until he was stopped by the face of the Kazekage.

"So, you finally mastered the technique." Stated the Sandaime as he looked into the mask Orochimaru wore.

Orochimaru laughed again. "Very good, Sensei, yes, I have mastered the technique. The technique that gives me ever lasting life."

"At what cost?" spat Sarutobi. "All you do is transfer your soul into another living body! You do not care for the other person whose body it is you are taking."

"Ah, but it is only right that the weak do everything they can in order to help the strong. Is it not the way of life, sensei?" Orochimaru roared at his one time teacher.

"The strong should guide the weak so they can be strong themselves. Leave your ways behind Orochimaru or I will be forced to stop you." Stated the Sandaime. Sarutobi knew that there was no point in arguing with Orochimaru. He had tried once and had failed. He had had the chance to stop him but the teacher who loved his students had let him get away.

Orochimaru's resulting laugh resounded through the area. "Stop me Sensei? Have you forgotten that you could not stop me the last time you tried? If you want to stop me then attack me." Urged the snake Sannin, his usual demented smile on his face.

"Or is it too difficult to Attack the Kazekage, your long time friend? Maybe this will help you?" said the Snake Sannin as he ripped off the Kazekage's face, Orochimaru's pale complexion coming into view.

"No? No matter. This time I am coming for you."

Orochimaru flashed through a sequence of handseals before he sped towards his teacher, his voice echoing through the air.

"Hebi Tsuba: Sui!" (Snake Spit: Acid) called the Snake Sannin, a spray of colorless liquid spraying out of his mouth with immense pressure.

The Sandaime was about to leap back as a purple barrier came into existence behind him, cornering him and leaving him no room to maneuver. The only thing that saved Sarutobi from having acid burning his skin and body was his quick monkeylike reactions, a flick of the hand throwing his Hokage robe in front of him.

The robe fizzed and melted away as the acid ate at the fabric, the robe quickly fading into non-existence. Orochimaru paused, hesitant to step in through the mist formed by the dissolving coat. What he had planned to be a trap to prevent his teacher from retreating was now preventing him from attacking him. Orochimaru now knew that his chance to finish the battle quickly was gone, the momentum dissipated.

Orochimaru looked on as the mist slowly disappeared, revealing a fully battle ready Hokage in his battle uniform.

"The element of surprise you gained at Danzo's betrayal is gone Orochimaru." Came the Sandaime's voice. "Now, Konoha's counter attack begins."

X—X—X—X—X

:D done! Sorry i'm so late… college is keeping me busy… somehow… just listening to the lectures alone doesn't help here…

Anyways… I hope you enjoy this. and I will aim to be faster with the updates, keeping in mind that I have assignments to complete as well…

Well as always…

REVIEW!


	23. Chapter 23: Counter

Graybear: of course I am continuing… I don't leave unfinished business.

For those of you who say Tsume's dog talks…. He doesn't talk in this fic :P

Erik: apparently I do :/

Animaman: why don't you wait and read?

Twinitech 2: Thanks! I'm not sure if you are a boy or a girl so I won't say anything else :P

Lincos: I know its not… but when Haku uses it, they turn into ice…. Much cooler that way, don't ya think?

Cerridwen: sure… why not? Though you'll have to come up with one yourself. :P

Fff: good luck man

Morlandros: well keep reading bro… I have a feeling the fight will be, well, funny, for lack of a better term.

Doooom: dude… you're just reading… it's a small thing… I'm the one writing this… not comparable.

BTW… need a favor from all you guys… I've been told that my summary does my story no good. Well. I can't come up with a summary that is good enough… so why don't you guys come up with some and I will mix and edit them up?

KnightOwl: I realize that quicksand isn't lethal at all, unless it is deep for you to drown in… it doesn't eat you alive per say… but if you get sucked in… and you're trapped… then you suffocate… right?

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 23: Repulsion

Umino Iruka stood on top of the Hokage Mountain along with a number of Chuunin and Jounin's behind Mitarashi Anko, gazing down on the fights taking place in different areas of the village.

"Are the students and the elderly safe?" asked Anko as she devised a strategy to slowly push back the enemy forces in their village.

"Yes." stated Iruka, his hand coolly by his side, his eyes set firm on doing anything he could to win his home back.

"Good." Stated Anko. "We start pushing them back as we planned. We need to free the Hyuuga compound. They are our only way of knowing who is Root and who is not."

Iruka nodded. Anko had been one of the very few that Jiraiya had trusted with the knowledge of Danzo's meddling. Jiraiya had only picked up on this treachery only when Sasuke had been taken over by Danzo, a little too late to start finding out who was a loyalist and who was a Root member. Yet, Jiraiya had found out a way to differentiate them, a way that required the all seeing eyes of the Hyuuga. It had been one of the main reasons that Jiraiya had visited Hiashi at the stadium.

The trick was to look at each and every one's tongue. If the nin was Root, they would have a special seal on it that prevented them from speaking Danzo's name or speaking any information about Root to anyone around. That was where the Hyuuga came in. They were the only way that one could see the seal on the Root member's tongues without actually opening their mouth. In a battle, Iruka could understand how hard that could be.

Anko raised her hand in a fist, before she opened it, the force behind her needing no more initiative. They all disappeared within a second, soon to reappear in the midst of battle, reinforcing those who were fighting for their home in the streets.

X—X—X—X—X

Kankuro ran alongside Sasuke, Temari on his back and Karasu sealed in a scroll in his pouch. They had lost both Gaara and Baki sometime during their flight and now, it had Kankuro worried.

For one, Kankuro was running alongside a fully able ninja who had just betrayed his own home village. He did not know what had caused such a change in the heart of the Uchiha, but he knew that Sasuke was not the worst treated in the village. Surely nothing could have been so bad as to drive someone who was hailed as royalty out of the village. It was not the fact that Sasuke had abandoned Konoha that Kankuro was worried about, but who in the great nations would trust someone who had betrayed their own village? Who would trust him not to betray them in return for something they wanted? Kankuro did not trust Sasuke at all, most definitely not with their lives.

If Sasuke decided to betray them now, it would leave both him and Temari open to attack and as it was, Kankuro would take some time to get into a defensible mode. Temari's leg made the situation worse. It would remember her immobile or handicapped, in no situation to be able to out run a fully able taijutsu user. That would leave him to protect her and it would also limit his movement as he could not just abandon her in the forest.

Last but not least, the disappearance of Gaara had gotten him more worried than he was at their situation. Gaara was already losing it, halfway through his transformation and Kankuro knew that Baki was one to follow every single order he got from the Kazekage. That would mean only one thing, that Baki was taking Gaara towards Konoha where they could use the Shukaku to cause as much damage and casualties possible to the Konoha forces.

Kankuro wanted to go and stop Gaara, but he had Temari to look after. Leaving her now would mean that she would die if any loyal Konoha nin found her and he could not let that be. Gaara could wait, his demon Shukaku could keep him alive till Kankuro could come back for him.

A kunai whizzed past Kankuro's face and the trio stopped to face the Konoha nin that stood in front of them. Kankuro immediately put Temari on the ground, pulling his scroll out only to freeze in motion. He watched as his own arm moved without his permission, lifting the scroll and tossing it far away out of reach.

"Turn yourself in, Sasuke. You have been found." Came Shikamaru's voice as the Nara walked out of the trees shadow, his shadow still connected to Kankuro's.

Kankuro heard an animalistic snarl before the Uchiha launched himself at his former class mate, fist cocked back and Sharingan whirling.

The punch never landed as a flash of brown intercepted Sasuke's punch, landing one in the Uchiha's gut instead. The blur did not stop as it grabbed the back of Sasuke's shirt, ramming the fist repeatedly into Sasuke's gut before ending it with a shove towards the ground. Sasuke crashed through the branch in front of him, failing to get a grip on the trunk of the tree as the momentum from the shove sent him crashing towards the ground. A lucky grab on a branch was all that stopped his face from meeting with the ground, hard.

A soft landing later, Uchiha Sasuke came face to face with the opponent that had so easily taken the upper hand.

"Hello." Came the voice as Sasuke's eyes widened. "Sasuke-kun."

X—X—X—X—X

"We're getting close." Warned Pakkun as both the dog and Naruto sped on towards Gaara. "There's one more with him."

_One more? _Thought Naruto. _Who can it be? This is bad. It's just me and Pakkun against two nin. What do I do?_

Suddenly an idea hit him. Something that Hisemi had said that had happened to them inside the Forest of Death.

"Pakkun! Can you get me in front of them? Somewhere I can ambush them from?" asked Naruto.

"Sure." Said Pakkun. "Depends on how fast you can go."

Naruto grinned. "How fast exactly do you want me to go?"

X—X—X—X—X

Five minutes later, in another section of the trees, Baki was slowly guiding Gaara towards Konoha, waiting for the moment when he could release the blood maddened boy. However, what he had not planned for was the sudden gust of wind that took them both unprepared.

Baki felt himself being lifted off of the ground and into the air, the gust so powerful that he was taken far away from where he was. The moment he landed on a tree, he knew that his objective had failed. He had been split up from Gaara and Baki had no doubt that the blood thirsty boy would go after the man that had ambushed him. Being his sensei, Baki knew that once Gaara had found a target, there was no use trying to convince him otherwise. He just hoped that the ambusher was not strong enough to drive Gaara to use the Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu.

X—X—X—X—X

"Nice barrier you have there, Orochimaru." Spoke the Sandaime as he slipped into a battle ready stance. "Make sure no one tries to break this down." He said to the ANBU standing outside. "If it's keeping me in, then it will keep him in and his reinforcements out."

The ANBU nodded, their time with the Hokage meant that they knew what the Hokage meant to do. The trio of guards he had jumped off into various parts of the arena where they would be of greater use while keeping one eye on the barrier.

"Now, we may begin." Said the Sandaime as he jumped forward, hands flashing through the seals before he blew out a gigantic fireball, the Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu.

The fireball hit Orochimaru head on, melting the Sannin into a clump of mud. The Sandaime sensed his student rise behind him, managing to leap away as a sword slashed the space which he had occupied not too long ago.

"Kuchiyose: Kusanagi no Tsurugi. (Summoning: Sword of Kusanagi)" Spoke the Sannin as he took the sword into his hand.

"It's been a long time since I have seen that sword, Orochimaru."

The snake master just smiled. "Good. It shall be the last time you see it."

Orochimaru charged the Hokage, slashing left and right as he attempted to land a blow on the Hokage. Sarutobi rolled to a side as Orochimaru made a downward slash, his hands forming seals even before he landed on his feet.

"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu. (Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique)" Yelled the Hokage as he rolled on to his knees, spitting balls of fire at Orochimaru who had to dodge them.

This momentary lapse in Orochimaru's attacks was all the Sandaime needed to turn the momentum around, immediately chaining one more jutsu to aid him.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! Enkou Enma! (Summoning Technique: Monkey King Enma.)"

"Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Ku no Tachi! (Sword of Kusanagi: Long Sword of the Heavens.)" Came a voice from thin air and only Enma's lightning fast reactions allowed him to block the sword from piercing Sarutobi.

"I see you finally decided to end things, Hiruzen." Spoke Enma as both of them jumped away avoiding Orochimaru's Fuuton: Daitoppa. (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)

"Yes, now I regret my indecisiveness on that day." Said the Sandaime as he flashed through more seals performing the Doton: Doryuudan followed by the Katon: Karyuudan.

Orochimaru laughed as he dodged the combination technique, watching the flaming projectiles soar harmlessly past him.

"Do you not learn anything new, Sensei?"Asked Orochimaru as he let his teacher and the summon attack him, calmly dodging each and every strike the couple threw at him.

"Take a page from my book Sensei, your complacency has made you weak! Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"

"Hebi Tsuba: Mahi! (Snake Spit: Numbness)" Came multiple voices as both Enma and Sarutobi were assaulted from all directions with the same jutsu, the effects taking place as soon as the snake venom touched their bodies.

Four distinct pops alerted the Hokage and his summon to the dispelling of Orochimaru's clones yet the both of them kept their eyes fixed on the original standing in front of them.

"How do you like my new techniques, Sensei?" asked the Snake Sannin as he stepped closer. "Interesting are they not? Made from close observation of my dear summons, the snakes, the techniques suit me perfectly."

The Sandaime growled at Orochimaru, struggling to bring feeling back to his body and make it respond to his will.

"The venom is quite strong I assure you, though its effects might be milder on you than on others. Worry not, Sensei. I do not intend to kill you so soon. Instead, I have a very entertaining idea to try out. I'm sure you will remember this technique, which I have now mastered as well."

Orochimaru flashed through some hand seals before speaking in a clear voice. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Edo Tensei. (Summoning Technique: Impure Resurrection)"

The Sandaime's eyes widened as a coffin broke out from the floor, the Kanji symbol for one embedded on it.

_The First Hokage. _Thought Sarutobi as he willed his body to move, increasing the force as he witnessed a second coffin start to raise.

_He's planning to resurrect all three! I must stop at least the last one. _

One last desperate push allowed Sarutobi to move his hand into his kunai pouch, throwing the few he could pick out in a millisecond at the final coffin with the symbol for three on it.

Orochimaru chuckled as the five kunai embedded themselves into the coffin, stopping its rise from the grave.

"So you managed to regain control in time to stop the last coffin." He said with a smile. "No matter, you will still have your hands full with these two."

The lids of the coffins hissed as they opened, falling to the ground as the two occupants, the first and the second Hokage stepped out of them.

"So this is Konoha." Spoke Senju Hashirama as he looked around, taking in the growth of the village. "Good job, Saru. You have made us proud."

"It is a pity that you should spend your reunion fighting each other." Said Orochimaru as he stepped forward, two kunai in hand, before he embedded both in the heads of the resurrected.

"I am sorry, Saru. But now I shall see how strong you have grown." Said Senju Tobirama as he charged forward, flanked by his brother the first Hokage.

X—X—X—X—X

"How?" spoke Sasuke as he groggily stood up from his position. "How did you become so fast?"

"Me? Fast?" spoke the figure as it jumped down to stand level with the Uchiha. "No, it is you that has become slower. You are not the genius you once were." Said Sakura as she stepped into the light.

"!" yelled Sasuke as he charged at his assailant, Sharingan eyes spinning wildly as it looked for any advantage over his opponent.

Sasuke's first punch missed Sakura by inches, the slight lean to the left making sure the attack went astray. The Uchiha's eyes bulged as a knee connected with his already sore gut causing the Uchiha to stagger back. Sasuke was barely able to take one breath before a sandaled foot impacted with his face sending him sprawling to the ground.

"What? Why? How?" he asked as he propped himself up on his arms.

"Simple, your hypnosis only works when someone looks directly into your eyes. Me, I'm simply looking at your feet."

The Uchiha picked himself up, his Sharingan eyes now blazing with fury. "Look me in the eye, Sakura!" he snarled as he rushed his opponent again, intent on forcing the girl to look into his eyes.

This time, Sasuke didn't even have time to attempt a further blow, a solid arm connecting with his face as a gust of wind rushed past him. This time however, Sasuke managed to tuck his legs under him and land on his feet.

The Uchiha immediately launched himself at his opponent, hoping to take advantage of Sakura's turned back, his hands furiously going through seals.

"Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

Sakura wasted little time, pulling out one of the new scrolls that she had made herself carry on her all the time as she flashed through hand seals herself.

"Suiton: Suijinheki!" Yelled Sakura, water appearing from the scroll and forming a barrier between the fire technique and her body.

Sakura did not relent, dropping the scroll as she flashed through another set of hand seals before yelling out her second Jutsu.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" she yelled as a water dragon pulled itself out of the scroll, slamming into the Uchiha who was trying to sneak up on Sakura.

A surprised Sasuke was lifted off the ground and smacked into a large tree trunk as he felt the full force of the jutsu. Spluttering, the Uchiha stood up, black markings spreading across half his body, reinforcing his body with unholy chakra. An evil smile spread upon Sasuke's face as he felt the power surge into him.

A few meters in front, Haruno Sakura felt the power surge into Sasuke and wondered where the power had come from. A scream erupted from the Uchiha's throat as he charged Sakura, the girl slipping into a defensive stance, readying herself for the Uchiha's renewed onslaught.

X—X—X—X—X

Sabaku no Gaara held on tight to the trunk of a tree as the wind jutsu gave one violent pull at him before it died down, the chakra put into the jutsu now exhausted. The only reason he had been able to anchor himself to the tree being his ability to control sand.

"I see my Jutsu didn't work on you." Came a voice from just above Gaara and the Suna genin reacted immediately, lashing his transformed arm at the figure.

The sound of branches breaking echoed as the transformed arm crashed through the foliage, the din covering the slight whoosh of wind as the Konoha nin's foot slammed into Gaara's back pushing him off the branch.

The Suna nin twisted in mid air as he flailed his transformed arm at the man who had just hit him, the arm extending as it swiped at the branch. Yet, once again, the enemy was nowhere near the actual target of the strike.

Gaara willed his sand to rise up, blocking the punch from meeting with his face as he crushed his opponent with it. There was a slight poof and a frown appeared on Gaara's face as he realized that there was no blood being absorbed into his sand.

"I see." Came a voice from behind him and Gaara spun around to find Uzumaki Naruto standing on a branch level to him.

"So in that state, even though your automatic defense isn't working, you can still command your sand. Interesting." Said the blond boy as he stood on top of the branch with his arms folded across his chest.

The half transformed Gaara looked at the blond Konoha nin nodding to himself like an idiot and growled. There was no way he would let a blond idiot make a fool out of Sabaku no Gaara.

Gaara launched himself at Naruto, arm cocked back and ready to claw but Naruto made no move to dodge, instead digging in his shuriken pouch and throwing a few stars at the onrushing boy.

Naruto stood on the branch and watched as Gaara made to block the shuriken with his hands before he put his hands in the ram seal, invocating the jutsu as he channeled the chakra.

"Kage Shuriken no Jutsu."

Sabaku no Gaara watched wide eyed as the shuriken multiplied, soon becoming a cloud of sharp metal projectiles. Yet, the Suna nin was confident in his ability to block the slow moving cloud. Never in the whole duration of his shinobi life did he expect the next thing to happen.

A second blonde figure suddenly appeared behind the shuriken cloud, yelling "Fuuton: Reppuusho!" as he thrust his palms out.

The shuriken immediately picked up speed, becoming so fast that Gaara was only able to retract his arm to cover his vital organs before he was turned into a pincushion. However, the Ichibi no Jinchuuriki did not stop his charge, plowing through the surprised shadow clone as he sped at the original with a snarl on his lips.

Naruto was just able to flip above Gaara's head, his eyes widening as he felt a clawed hand grab his ankle and slam him into the tree trunk.

The Naruto in Gaara's hand disappeared with a puff of smoke, another running along his transformed hand to land a powerful kick on Gaara's cheek, sending him crashing to the ground.

The Suna nin was only able to get up from his fall just in time to see another kick aimed for his face. Gaara blocked the incoming kick with his hand, his taijutsu skills now increase by his half transformation. Naruto recovered quickly, attempting to kick the back of Gaara's head with his heel, but the Suna nin had already rolled away, forming seals as he came up.

"Suna Shuriken no Jutsu." Said the boy as countless sand shuriken sped at his opponent. Even with the close proximity, Naruto managed to squeeze himself between the shuriken and rush towards Gaara, five clones appearing next to him as he ran.

"Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu." Came the cry as a couple of hands rose from the forest floor to pull him under.

"U!" came the cry as two of the clones slid on the ground, planting both feet under Gaara's chin, the force from all four boots sending him up into the air.

"Zu!" came another shout as another clone rammed his fist into Gaara's stomach followed by a twist as he threw the stunned Suna nin higher.

"Ma!" was all the warning Gaara got before a boot met his face, effectively halting his momentum into the air.

"Ki!" followed close, a knee ramming into Gaara's back before the foot even left his face.

The two clones that had just hit him disappeared. And Gaara's eyes saw the mass of Naruto clones ready to take a shot at him.

"Naruto Nisen Rendan!" came the cry from the thousand odd clones as they took turns landing two blows each on the Ichibi no Jinchuuriki.

Gaara had no idea how long he had been buffeted in the air by the blows, but he knew that he would not stay airborne for long.

Gaara's whole body was numb as he fell, the sand around his arm falling to reveal his own, normal limb. The sand was the only thing that stopped Gaara from entering the world of unconsciousness or even death, cushioning his fall.

Gaara took the time to force his sore hands through some seals, his eyes burning with anger as he did so. The suna boy gave Naruto an evil smile as the blond landed in front of him.

"Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu (Feigning Sleep Technique)" was all Gaara said before his mind went black.

X—X—X—X—X

The battle on the arena roof top raged as three Hokage rushed at each other, the second and the third going through hand seals as they ran.

"Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

"Suiton: Suiryuudan!"

Yelled both Hokage at once, one producing a gigantic fireball while the other produced a large water dragon out of thin air, both jutsu colliding to produce a a cloud of steam that rose into the Konoha sky.

The First Hokage would have had a clear shot at the Sandaime's life had it not been for his ever vigilant summon, Enma, intervening before the Shodaime could muster an attack.

"Do not think that I would leave my summons back open, Shodaime-sama." Came Enma's voice as he blocked Hashirama's kunai with his hand.

"This is no time for play!" Hissed Orochimaru from where he stood. "Finish him! And your beloved Konoha."

"Tobirama!" called the Shodaime as he jumped back. "Some time please."

The Nidaime nodded, rushing in to exchange taijutsu techniques with his student. Blow after blow was thrown and blow after blow was blocked and countered. The Nidaime tried style after style, technique after technique but Sarutobi proved to be his match on the defense. All options exhausted, Senju Tobirama jumped away from the Sandaime, trying to think of a way to open his student up.

"You have grown strong over the years, Saru." Said the silver haired Hokage as he rushed in again. "Do what you must, keep the village safe." He whispered once he was close to Sarutobi.

"Gomen, sensei." Was all the Sandaime replied.

"Mokuton Hijutsu! (Wood Element Secret Technique)" Came a shout and the Nidaime jumped away.

"Enma! I need you to turn into diamond for me!" called the Sandaime, knowing exactly what Jutsu would follow.

"Jukai Kotan! (Birth of Dense Woodland)"

"Henge: Kongonyoi (Transformation: Adamantine Staff)" yelled the Monkey Summon as he transformed into a black staff with yellow tips.

Sarutobi propped Enma on the ground, using the staff for extra stability as he felt the tiles shake, branches breaking out of them, looking to impale Sarutobi.

The Sandaime jumped from one branch to another, avoiding the sharpened tips and vines that tried to capture him. Sarutobi had to twist, turn and dodge, sometimes even diverting the vines with a blow from the adamantine staff that was now in his hands.

Sarutobi stumbled as one lucky vine caught him by his right foot, other vines immediately springing up to strap him down to the branch. The vines tightened as Hashirama willed the larger branches towards his captured foe, the Jutsu looking to crush Sarutobi into pulp.

It was only Enma's quick thinking that saved the Sandaime's life. The replication of the diamond hard staff formed a cage around the Sandaime prevented the lethal branches from getting to him.

The sudden lack of pressure on the replica's alerted Enma to the fact that the Shodaime was no longer pumping chakra into the jutsu. The monkey king would have warned his summoner had Sarutobi not been aware of it himself.

"Kokuangyo no Jutsu! (Bringer of Darkness Technique)" yelled out Sarutobi as he finished flying through his first set of hand seals.

He watched as his predecessors stopped in their tracks, fully caught in the genjutsu. Sarutobi knew that he would have to be finish them off in a way that Orochimaru would never be able to bring them forward again and fast. In that case, there was only one jutsu that would work.

Without wasting any further time, Sarutobi put his hands in the ram seal voicing out "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" and producing two clones that immediately leapt towards the two former Hokage, flying through hand seals themselves.

The clones then grabbed a hold of their designated Hokage, voicing out the words, "Shiki Fuuin (Dead Demon Seal)."

Both the Shodaime and the Nidaime stood perfectly still as the ethereal form of the Death God formed around the clones, that one hand that pierced through the clone's belly and into the stomachs of either Hokage grabbing a hold of their soul. The light in either Hokage's eyes slowly faded as they felt their souls being pulled out of their bodies, yet the smile that appeared on either's did not leave.

It would be the very last words that the clone heard that would forever make an impact on the way Sarutobi fought that day.

"Do not let Konoha ever fall, Saru. We have faith in you."

X—X—X—X—X

Sakura watched as her one time crush charged at her, evil purple chakra seeping out of him. She blinked as Sasuke disappeared, appearing behind her to slam a kick in to her back.

The pink haired genin rolled with the blow, coming up with her hands in front of her face ready to block the next punch or kick.

_He's fast! _She thought as he vanished and reappeared all over the place, throwing punches at her that she was barely able to block or dodge. Some, like the last uppercut Sasuke attempted, scored hits on her, throwing her up into the air.

Sakura felt Sasuke's presence under her and knew what was going to happen next. She saw elbow Sasuke threw towards her ear from the corner of hey eye and considered her lucky to be able to block that blow. Having some form of medical knowledge, she knew that she would have been as well as defeated if it had landed.

The second blow was pretty straightforward as well, a fist aimed to smash in her nose, was caught by her spare hand. She herself knew that it was dangerous game that she was playing, provoking Sasuke's anger. If this was the kind of filthy power he was provided when he was just angry, she couldn't imagine what he would have at his disposal when he was livid.

She was so caught up in her contemplation that she had missed the knee Sasuke finally rammed into her side. A whoosh from her right side caused her to tilt her head to the left and promptly saw a foot whiz past her ear. The last and final blow came over the same shoulder, in the form of a full leg slamming down on a chest protected by both arms, the words "Shishi Rendan" coming out as an animalistic growl.

Sakura quickly pulled out all the chakra from her weights before she performed a flip, landing on both her feet. She saw Sasuke land on a branch just in front of her, the curse mark covering half of his body.

"Not so strong now are you, Sakura?" he asked as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Unlike you, Sasuke-kun, I do not need to show off my strength to the whole world." She said back, taking the conversation as a chance to catch her breath. "But then again, you have to resort to such vile chakra to become that strong."

Sasuke disappeared, instantly materializing in front of Sakura with his fist cocked back. "Does it matter where the power comes from?" he asked as he poured all his might into the punch before releasing it.

Sakura turned sideways, the breeze from Sasuke's hand rushed past her face along with the blow. Her knee came up automatically, hoping to hit Sasuke's chest, but the male genin had already ducked under the knee, taking out Sakura's only leg on the ground.

The girl landed on the ground with a thump, barely able to raise her hands to block the leg that threatened to stomp her chest. Sasuke was gone again in an instant.

"Chidori!" came a cry as Sakura saw the boy speed towards her from above, his hand surrounded by lightning chakra.

Sakura focused her chakra, performing a seal less Kawarimi as Sasuke neared her, instantly switching their places.

The Uchiha's eyes widened as he felt the switch take place and saw his hand pierce the solid ground. He tried to pull it out with all his might, but failed to do it in time to avoid Sakura's grip on his head. Sakura was tempted to keep slamming his head into the ground, yet Sasuke was still a ninja of Konoha and as such, Sakura was obliged to take him back, alive.

So the pink haired Genin slammed his face into the ground just once, knocking the boy unconscious before she went about cutting his hamstrings. Sakura still wasn't as fluent as she would have liked with the chakra scalpels, but she was good enough that she wouldn't damage something irreparable. Once, Sasuke's immobilization was complete. She sat on the ground, taking a moment to herself. She realized that at that very moment, that it was only Naruto that had given her this much of a challenge earlier.

Haruno Sakura shook her head. This was no time for flashbacks, there was someone she needed to deliver to the Jounin. With that, the girl conveniently hoisted Sasuke on her back and took off towards the wall of Konoha, her mind fixed one her one blond team mate that she had come to love over time.

_I hope you are okay, Naruto-kun._

X—X—X—X—X

A strong blast of wind hit Naruto as Gaara's body was swept up in a sandstorm, the blond Konoha nin forced to use to chakra to adhere himself to the ground.

Naruto watched through half shut eyes, as the sand in the sand storm solidified around Gaara's body forming what Naruto assumed to be the Ichibi no Shukaku.

"**Yattaaa!" **came a howl from the mass of sand as the demon opened its eyes. **"I'm finally free!"**

Naruto looked at the demon with wide eyes as the sand storm cleared, finally revealing the large demonic raccoon. Naruto could have sworn that the beast was at least three stories tall, and wider than two of Konoha's gates side by side.

"**BLOOD! I smell blood!" **yelled the Demon as it looked around, finally settling its eyes on Konoha. **"OOOH! A BATTLE! I want more blood!" **said the raccoon as it started heading towards the village.

Naruto snapped out of his trance as the huge raccoon started moving, his mind going through various techniques to try and defeat it. But one thing that Naruto knew was that it could not be let any closer to Konoha than it already was, or more Konoha blood wood be spilt on the ground.

Willing his legs to move, Uzumaki Naruto took off after Shukaku, catching up and keeping pace with it. The boy picked a very dense forested area before he spoke up, making the demon aware of his presence.

"Hey, you large rodent!" called the boy, not really knowing the difference between a raccoon and a rat.

It was only when Shukaku halted mid stride did Naruto figure out that he had struck a nerve.

"Yeah! You! With the short snubby tail! If you can even call it one." called the boy hoping that Shukaku would have issues having only one tail.

"**Who said that?" **Yelled the raccoon as it turned around towards the direction Naruto had spoken from. **"WHO DARES INSULT THE GREAT ICHIBI NO SHUKAKU!" **

Naruto stared up at the raccoon as Shukaku scanned the whole forest looking for the thing that had insulted it. In his mind, Naruto was wondering why such a feared tailed beast was having trouble locating him and thus, he spoke up.

"Um… I did." He said, slightly lifting his hand up.

Shukaku lowered his head further, bringing his eyes to rest on the blond mop of hair the was gazing at him.

"**You?" **asked the bijuu before breaking into fits of hysterical laughter. **"How can a small maggot like you insult me?" **

Naruto sweat dropped at the statement. How? He just had. There was no how to it. He stared at Shukaku continue laughing and shook his head. There was only one way to stop someone that was laughing.

Naruto flashed through a couple of hand seals before he voiced out his jutsu. The words "Fuuton: Renkuudan! (Wind Element: Air Drilling Bullet)" piercing the air before the somewhat out of control air bullet hit Shukaku.

"**You call that a jutsu, punk? Even a flea could bite harder than that!" **called out Shukaku as it laughed.

The demon continued laughing, keeping one eye on the blond boy as he jumped up into the air. "Tajuu! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Came the cry before the air was filled with replica of the blond boy, each of them yelling out the words of his very own modification of the Renkuudan.

"Uzumaki Naruto no Ninpouchou! Nisen Renkuudan! (Uzumaki Naruto's Ninja Handbook: Two Thousand Air Drilling Bullets"

Shukaku's eyes widened slightly as the wave of air bullets hit him all at the same time, the combined effect of the jutsu apparent as the raccoon howled at the pain a mere human had caused him. The Tanuki's reaction was instant, immediately swiping at the large cloud of Kage Bunshin still in the air. The mass erupted in multiple pops of smoke, some managing to flip and avoid being dispelled so easily.

Never being one to give up a plan that was working, Uzumaki Naruto decided to push his advantage, summoning another mass of Kage Bunshin that surrounded the form of Shukaku.

"Uzumaki Naruto no Ninpouchou: Shihou Happo Shuriken! (Uzumaki Naruto's Ninja Handbook: Shuriken Everywhere!)"

Shukaku smirked slightly, knowing the perfect way to end this attack. Suddenly twisting to his left, Shukaku called out his jutsu. **"Suna Kaiten!" **

The large Demon twisted around violently, much like a Hyuuga would, but instead of the chakra shield of the Hyuuga, it was a dome of fast moving sand that blocked each and every single shuriken that was thrown at him.

Though a bit surprised at the sudden innovation from the Ichibi, Naruto recovered within a second, continuing the assault on the sand dome, all his clones descending rapidly towards the still spinning Bijuu.

Shukaku stopped spinning, the sand falling down to the ground as the chakra stopped flowing through the sand.

"Nice Jutsu!" came the cry from a thousand voices. "But you forgot one thing! Your kaiten does not reflect my shuriken like the Hyuuga's Kaiten!"

Shukaku was barely given time to recover before Naruto continued his assault.

"U!" came a singular voice as a foot kicked Shukaku's jaw. The real Naruto was seen frowning in a tree at the lack of effect on the Ichibi.

"Zu!"came the cry as two more of his clones tried their luck to no avail causing the real boy to flash through hand seals as he watched his clones work.

"Ma!" came in conjunction with the whispered words "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" the gigantic puff of smoke hiding the kicks four other Naruto attempted.

"Ki!" grabbed the recently summoned Gamabunta's attention, distracting him from the lecture he was about to give the boy.

"Naruto Nisen Rendan!" came the cries as a thousand fists and legs connected with Shukaku's body.

Gamabunta was impressed at how well a simple ninja boy was holding up against a tailed beast.

"What did you call me here for boy?" asked Gamabunta as he blew a puff of smoke from his pipe. "Looks like you have things handled here."

"No, I don't." said Naruto as he pointed to the cloud of now dispelling clones. "Somehow, he doesn't go down as easily as you think."

Shukaku howled as the clones dispelled. Naruto, who was on top of Gamabunta could easily tell that the Ichibi was really mad.

"**Think you can take me down, brat? THIS is how you perform a Fuuton Jutsu! Fuuton: Renkuudan!" **called Shukaku as he blew a couple of air bullets at Gamabunta who jumped away.

It was from this aerial view that Gamabunta caught sight of Gaara sticking out of the Ichibi's forehead.

"I see." Said Gamabunta as he leapt up one more time, avoiding another air bullet as he drew his sword. "Gaki! Do you see his Jinchuuriki on his forehead?"

Naruto nodded, not sure where Gamabunta was going with it.

"He's performing a jutsu called the Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu. The jutsu puts the user in a state of sleep where the demon he is holding inside is fully manifested on to the real world."

"So wake him up and the Ichibi will restrained again?" asked Naruto, the words finally making sense.

"Yes." Said the toad boss as he landed on the ground, drawing his sword. "Are you ready Gaki?"

Gamabunta gave Naruto no time to ready himself as the toad blew out a puff of smoke towards Shukaku as he charged, a slight maniacal grin curving his lips.

_It's been a while since I took on a tailed Demon. Like father like son eh Gaki?_

X—X—X—X—X

Sarutobi ran, using chakra to cushion his footfalls making him as silent as possible. It wouldn't be long before Orochimaru found a way through the genjutsu and he needed to end the battle before that happened. Sarutobi knew that he would not be able to match Orochimaru's chakra supply with his being so exhausted. The only option was to end this battle fast and quick.

Sarutobi threw his fist forward, aimed at the snake Sannin's face and was surprised when the Sannin dodged, lashing out a foot at Sarutobi as he evaded. The Sandaime took the blow in the gut and stumbled back to feel a pair of fangs biting him on the arm.

"Did you think this genjutsu will have a hold on me sensei?" asked Orochimaru. "You forget which Sannin I am."

Sarutobi staggered backwards, his strength slowly seeping away. The Sandaime went down on one knee, finally focusing on Orochimaru's snake like tongue flicking in and out.

"Heat sensing." Breathed Sarutobi as it finally made sense to him. "Snake like abilities, Snake like jutsu. Have you become a snake, Orochimaru?"

"Very good Sensei, I see age has not dulled your wits." Said the snake Sannin as he took a step forward. "I have just injected you with a fast acting poison. Snakes are remarkable aren't they? But as you can see, I am still fully human. And I will be immortal once I have those eyes."

"Eyes? The Sharingan?" asked Sarutobi, as he concentrated on removing the poison with what little knowledge of medical ninjutsu he had. Sarutobi knew that after it was removed, he would only be able to perform one last jutsu to end it all and he had one in mind.

"As you are dying, I guess I can tell you." Said Orochimaru, summoning Kusanagi to him. "Yes, the Uchiha eyes are the secret to immortality as well as god like strength. With them, I will be able to perfect my Fushi Tensei (Living Body Reincarnation)."

"Not in this lifetime Orochimaru!" hissed Sarutobi as he leapt up, forming hand seals before grabbing the snake Sannin by his shoulders. "Shiki Fuuin!"

Orochimaru's eyes widened as the Shinigami appeared behind the Sandaime, thrusting his deathly hand through Sarutobi's stomach and into the body of the snake Sannin. Orochimaru stood still for a while, trying to resist the pull of the Shinigami on his soul, fighting his soul being pulled out of his body. Desperation kicked in as he witnessed as he felt his left arm go numb and the Sannin reacted without thought, ramming Kusanagi into the stomach of Sarutobi.

The old man coughed up blood. He knew that he was going through the last moments of his life and that he needed to take Orochimaru along with him. The Sandaime poured every ounce of his strength into the jutsu, managing to pull out the silhouettes of Orochimaru's arms. With every passing moment, he felt the blade of Kusanagi pressing further into his body, draining more of his life.

"Give it up old man! You are dying! You don't have enough strength to pull out my soul!" hissed Orochimaru as he mentally pushed Kusanagi deeper into his sensei's vital organs.

Sarutobi knew that Orochimaru was right and that he had no chance of pulling out all of Orochimaru's soul. "Fine, then I'll take your arms with me when I die." He said.

All Orochimaru could do was scream the word no as he watched the Shinigami pull out his knife and slice the souls arms off, sealing them into the belly of the sacrifice.

The grip on his shoulders vanished as Sarutobi fell backward, Orochimaru's arms going limp with nothing supporting them. Orochimaru cursed his sensei as he looked down upon the now dying body, a smile upon the Hokage's face.

"I shall destroy Konoha, if it is the last thing I do!" Hissed the snake Sannin before he jumped off the rooftop to find his assistant Kabuto.

The medic nin was not far from where Orochimaru and the Sandaime had fought, yet Orochimaru did not pause near Kabuto for long.

"Get Sasuke-kun and sound the retreat. Leave ROOT and the Suna nin to fend for themselves."

Within a second Orochimaru had vanished, the Sannin using his speed to take him out of the range of the battles. Little did he know of the last thought that went through the Sandaime's head before the Shinigami claimed his soul.

_I hope I have made you proud Sensei. Konoha lives to see another day, again._

X—X—X—X—X

"Suiton: Daitoppa!" came the cry from Gamabunta as he launched a ball of water at the Ichibi, but Shukaku wasn't a bijuu for no reason. The Ichibi's response was lightning fast, spinning around and blocking the ball with its tail before releasing a volley of Renkuudan at the toad.

Gamabunta jumped around, dodging the bullets before slipping in between two and charging the bijuu head on. A Daitoppa hit the Ichibi on the face, the close proximity of the jutsu leaving little time for evasion. Shukaku reeled as the water soaked the sand he had used as protection, making him heavier than he was. It also created the gap needed for Gamabunta to drive the tip of his sword into Shukaku's arm.

The bijuu cried out as its skin was pierced, lashing out with its tail and knocking the sword away. The sand armor reformed, leaving no damage visible to the eye, though anyone would know that Shukaku was really mad.

A wave of sand erupted from the ground, the Ichibi using every particle of sand he could control in order to crush the pesky toad. Gamabunta jumped into the air, avoiding the wave crashing down on him, but the sand followed him into the air as well. The toad released a couple of Daitoppa at the onrushing sand, slowing it down a couple of seconds, buying himself valuable time, yet he also noticed that Shukaku was driving him away from his sword.

"Gaki! I need a transformation! Something that's a bit more agile!"

The blond on top of his head grinned. "I know just the perfect one!"

"Henge no Jutsu!"

A gigantic smoke cloud appeared as the transformation took place, Shukaku taking the opportunity to release a fresh volley of Renkuudan as he commanded his sand to crush the toad that had injured him.

The mass of sand slammed into the earth, raising a huge cloud of dust as the impact occurred, but Shukaku frowned. He had not felt anything at all as the sand had come down. True to his feelings, a dark reddish blur broke through the smoke at alarming speeds with clawed limbs reading for Shukaku.

The Ichibi was taken aback as his eyes focused on the blur heading straight for him. The appearance of the Kyuubi no Kitsune was sure to have such an effect on any one of the bijuu, the nine tailed fox being the strongest of them.

This slight hesitation on behalf of the Ichibi allowed the duo of Gamabunta and Naruto to land a clawed strike on Shukaku, creating deep gashes in his sand armor. The duo leapt again, appearing above Shukaku, slamming all nine tails onto the Ichibi's head, before bounding off again. Gamabunta was able to score a few strikes on Shukaku before the Tanuki recovered.

"**You are not the Kyuubi!" **roared Shukaku as he commanded the sand to capture the henge'd duo, tendrils of sand seeping up from the ground and trying to bind the nimble fox transformation to the ground.

"Gaki! Now!" yelled Gamabunta as he dodged one tendril that rushed at one of the tails.

The blonde nodded and vanished in a cloud of smoke, reverting the fox back to the toad that was the original summon. Shukaku saw the transformation dispel, but could not pinpoint the blonde's location. It was not until Naruto's voice reached his ears did Shukaku's eyes widen.

"Wakey, Wakey!" yelled Uzumaki Naruto as he appeared in front of Gaara, ramming a couple of fists into the jinchuuriki's face, bringing Gaara out from his sleep.

"What? How?" asked a stun Gaara as he opened his eyes to face the Konoha nin.

"Simple. I jumped on to you when Gama Boss stuck his sword in you. I could have woken you up sooner but the toad wanted some exercise." Said the Blond boy, before ramming another first into the surprised red head's chin.

A howl came out of Shukaku's mouth as Gaara fully awakened, the Ichibi no Shukaku, sucked back into its seal on Sabaku no Gaara. The body mass of the Ichibi froze for a second, before it all collapsed into small sand particles, leaving both boys with no footing beneath them.

It was only the presence of Gamabunta that stopped both Naruto from hitting the ground hard, the blonde boy exhausted from a lot of his chakra. Gaara however was not as lucky as Naruto, and hit the ground with a thud.

"How?" croaked Gaara from where he lay. "How do you get so strong?"

The boss toad looked at the boy before lowering him a bit.

"When you have people to fight for, people who are important to you, you give it all you have, just so that you can keep them safe. Even for people like us, there are those who become important to you."

Gaara stared at Naruto for a second before closing his eyes. The boy had one last thought before unconsciousness enveloped him.

_If you can keep the Kyuubi at bay, then you truly must be strong, Uzumaki Naruto._

X—X—X—X—X

Haruno Sakura was halfway to Konoha when the Sound four struck. The first hit came high, a thin and lanky white haired figure appearing before her and ramming lightning fast kicks into her stomach. The burdened Sakura could not react in time, her body still aching from the bruises Sasuke had given her.

Sakura felt Sasuke's body being lifted off her shoulder as she crumpled to the floor, the hits too strong. All the hard work she had done, tracking Sasuke down as well as beat him into the ground had now gone to waste.

Sakura would have wanted to fight back but knowing the extent of her wounds and also that she was outnumbered, decided to stay still and act dead.

She closed her eyes a second later as she felt an increase in chakra flow above her. Whatever it was, she was sure that it would be the final blow.

"Jiroubu! We need to leave NOW! The jounin are right behind us!" came another male voice and she heard the man above her curse.

It was not until the chakra signatures left her side did she allow unconsciousness to claim her as well.

X—X—X—X—X

The invasion attempt was over within a few hours of it starting. Orochimaru, with his arms sealed, had withdrawn along with his Oto forces leaving the Suna Nin and the Root to continue the fight. Suna had had their secret weapon, Gaara defeated, and once the unconscious body had been spotted, had surrendered to the Konoha nin. The Root, left to fend for themselves, withdrew at the order of Danzo and fled Konoha. But none of these victories came without loss.

The biggest blow had been the loss of the Hokage. The Sandaime had died, defending the village from the evil clutches of the Oto nin and had succeeded in driving them off before he died. Now, Konoha was leaderless and vulnerable for the moment. With the loss of Root, their ninja forces had been cut down a quarter of what it had been and along with casualties they were roughly around half their previous strength.

A majority of the village had been destroyed by Orochimaru's snakes. Nothing they could not rebuild, but it would take time. Yet, the villagers of Konoha went on with their daily lives as if nothing ever happened. One could say that they were happy that they all lived to see another day.

X—X—X—X—X

O_O

LOOOONG TIIIME since I havnt updated… O_O

Well… here it is now… and as usual

REVIEW!


	24. Chapter 24: A short Rest

**Twinitech : Phew! Thank god I didn't flirt with ya! :P**

**54842 : Maybe it doesn't in my fic **

**Animaman : O_O that would be fun… will see about it… if it goes with the flow… I honestly have nothing planned out D:**

**ShadowXardas : it's all part of a plan **** Naruto will tell Sakura about it in Chapter 25**

**Leonineus : NOOO! I'll be scarred for life!**

**Cerridwen : I knowwww… but still… shit happens…**

**DarkLilly : I'm sorry :P but I have no end in sight for this fic :D**

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 24:

The morning sun rose above Konoha, shedding light into a room where the form of Hatake Kakashi sat on a chair, his legs raised on to the bed in front of him. The silver haired Jounin had his usual book in his hand, seemingly lost into it, though he was not getting much reading done.

The reason for this lack of progress in the otherwise engrossing series known as the Icha Icha series was that the two beds in the room were both occupied by the two genin that formed his team. The bed closest to him, the one he had his legs raised upon, held the sleeping form of Uzumaki Naruto, though not injured, was severely drained of chakra. The other bed, though a bit farther into the room, held the form of Haruno Sakura who also had chakra exhaustion.

His team had been unconscious for one whole day, the sunrise being on the second. Kakashi and Sakura's mother had taken turns keeping watch on them, though he knew that after yesterdays burial of the Sandaime, Jiraiya would be taking over one shift today. Thinking back to the day past spent, Kakashi recalled about two shift changes, one in the day and one at night. It had been on one of these shift changes that Haruno Sayaki had struck up a particular conversation with her daughter's Jounin Sensei.

"Ne, Kakashi-kun." She had started. "What do you think of Sakura and Naruto-kun?"

"They are both great students, Haruno-san." He had replied. "Both with their own unique set of skills and talent."

"Kakashi-kun, you know that that is not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean exactly?" he had asked, still unsure of what Sayaki was aiming at.

"In a personal sense, to each other."

Kakashi had remembered taking his seat. It was him that had come to relieve her. As long as she did not leave, he could not force her to and thus, he was literally trapped.

"In my honest opinion, Haruno-san, I do not know where they stand at all. They act as if they are in love, Naruto, I think has been all of his life. But your daughter, I am not sure of. I feel as if there are a lot of questions about him as well as themselves that she would like answered."

Sayaki had stayed silent for a while before nodding. "Thank you Kakashi-kun." She had said as she stood up. However it was her very last words that had stuck in his head the most.

"I miss you Kakashi-kun. You don't come by as often when Rin was around."

X—X—X—X—X

Hatake Kakashi woke up with a start to the afternoon sun. The Jounin groaned as he realized that he had dozed off on watch, wasting valuable time he could have used to read. The man rubbed his eyes slightly before he stood up and walked over to the window to gaze upon the streets of Konoha.

"It is a peaceful sight." Came a voice from just next to him, yet Kakashi was not taken aback.

Being the student of a student, Hatake Kakashi had familiarized himself with Jiraiya's chakra signature and he had felt the Sannin approach quite a while ago.

"It is." Replied the Jounin. "You would never think we had been attacked just a few days ago based on what you see now."

Jiraiya nodded as he sat on the second window sill leading into the room.

"One would never think we had just lost our Hokage either."

There was a short moment of silence after Jiraiya had spoken those words, the moment spent in remembering the Sandaime that had led them for so long.

"Speaking of the Hokage, who is going to become the Godaime?" asked Kakashi. "Were there any successors named?"

Jiraiya began with a sigh. "The Sandaime has named no successor. He has requested that the position be given to either me or Tsunade but only if we agree to it."

"So have you accepted the position?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "No. I am needed in the field Kakashi. I cannot afford to sit inside the village and babysit everyone."

There was a slight pause in Jiraiya's words where Kakashi was supposed to ask why. The Jounin however did not, knowing that Jiraiya would explain in a short while.

"My sources have informed me of the stirring of a new criminal organization made completely of S-ranked criminals." Said the Sannin, his gaze firmly fixed on Konoha's horizon. "They appear to be trying to collect the bijuu."

"Naruto." Breathed Kakashi and Jiraiya nodded.

"I cannot afford to be stuck inside this village Kakashi. Without me in the field my sources will not be able to get me the information."

Kakashi understood. Naruto was important to Jiraiya, the only connection he had to his beloved Yondaime and Kakashi knew that the Sannin would do almost anything to keep Naruto safe.

Kakashi held his breath for a while before releasing it. He knew Jiraiya was lost in thought, contemplating his next move. The man was a Sannin and he loved Konoha unlike Orochimaru. Kakashi knew that he would come up with a plan soon enough.

"I'm planning to go after Tsunade." Said Jiraiya sparking up the conversation again. "If I can convince her to take the position, then I can gather information without worry."

"About Naruto?" asked Kakashi, finally voicing his biggest concern since he had gotten the information.

"I'll take him on the trip. Konoha is large, and though it has a number of strong shinobi, we cannot expect everyone to guard Naruto. It is best if he stays with me for a while. I'll see if I can teach him something new on the trip."

Kakashi nodded. "If I may, Jiraiya-sama, I would like to go get some training done now." Said Kakashi and Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.

Kakashi was one of the strongest Jounin in the village. Maybe even second to Jiraiya if he used his Sharingan. So why would Kakashi need to go train.

"If your information about that organization,"

"Akatsuki." Said Jiraiya, giving Kakashi the name.

"Akatsuki, is true, then Naruto will need me as strong as I can be." Said the silver haired Jounin.

"What do you have to train Kakashi?" asked the Sannin.

The Jounin simply smiled before he tapped his covered eye. "I believe it was you who told Minato-sensei that one can never run out of things to improve."

The Jounin simply vanished before Jiraiya could say anything more, leaving the Sannin alone on the window sill. Jiraiya sighed before he opened the window and stepped in to the room. His eyes firmly fixed on the form of Haruno Sakura.

"You want to ask me anything, Haruno?" asked the Sannin.

X—X—X—X—X

Haruno Sakura had been awake for the past half an hour. Tired, exhausted and sore, but still awake. She had been awake when Kakashi had walked over to the window. She had been awake when Kakashi had started talking to Jiraiya. She heard everything down to the moment when Kakashi left. Yet, it had sent chills down her spine when Jiraiya had stepped in later and spoken to her.

Sakura turned slowly, her body still stiff and numb in places. "How did you know I was awake?"

"When someone is asleep, their breathing is totally different from when they are awake. One who is asleep has very calm, slow and deep breathing. One who is awake can be deep and calm but their rate of breathing increases slightly." Said the Sannin. "I knew you were awake the moment I got here. I'm sure Kakashi did too."

"And yet you still spoke about those things knowing I would hear you?"

Jiraiya nodded, his fatigue showing in his eyes. "You are Naruto's partner, and in more than one way I can see. It would be ill advised to do anything without informing you."

Sakura was agape for a moment, trying to come up with something to say to deny the accusation.

"Even though I am not there does not mean I do not know. Konoha is my home, where I have the most contacts. And in any case, denying is not something someone should do. The gaki would be hurt if he heard that."

Sakura closed her mouth, turning her face downcast.

"Rest, Sakura." Said Jiraiya as he sat on the chair and closed his eyes. "I won't be leaving until the Gaki wakes up, lots of time for you to think it over."

Sakura's eyes widened, how on earth did he know what she was thinking about? It was during this confusion that her body went back to sleep, making her miss the smile that touched Jiraiya's lips as he fell asleep as well.

X—X—X—X—X

The next time Sakura woke up it was already night. The girl sat up, her body feeling less stiff now that her bruises had healed. Sakura, with her little knowledge of medical ninjutsu had used a little bit of healing on her body to hasten the process up a bit.

Sakura flung her legs over the side of her bed, the soles of her feet resting on the cold floor. Well, at least she had expected the floor to be cold, but to her surprise it wasn't. The pink haired girl rubbed her eyes, hoping they would adjust to the darkness soon so she could figure out what was wrong but the door to the room opened before they adjusted, the light blinding her momentarily.

It was not until the light switched on that Sakura opened her eyes and found out where she was.

"I'm sorry if it disoriented you. But the doctor said that I could bring you home." Said her mother as she stood at the doorway. "Want to get something to eat? We have Sushi."

Sakura was off of her feet in seconds, walking as fast as she could towards the stairs. Within minutes, the pink haired girl was sitting at the dining table, cramming pieces of sushi into her mouth as if she hadn't eaten for days. Her mother, on the other hand, noted how similar it was to Naruto eating ramen.

"Slow down, Sakura-chan." Said Sayaki between fits of laughter. "The sushi isn't going anywhere."

The words caused Sakura to slow down, swallowing her already full mouth before starting to eat at a slower pace.

"I would never have thought you were a girl who used to diet by the way you just ate." Said her mother causing Sakura to give her a look.

"Come on. That was when I had a crush on that stupid Uchiha, I'm over him now, so I don't really need to watch my figure."

"You don't want to watch it even for Naruto-kun?"

The last question made Haruno Sakura choke on her little piece of Sushi, but the girl continued.

"My figure does not matter anymore, all I want is to be strong enough to be there for him when he needs me."

Sayaki smiled, it was obvious how much Sakura liked the boy and wanted to protect him. Besides, Sayaki had little worry, Sakura's daily training routine made sure that she would always stay fit as she was now.

"Mother, can I talk to you about something?" asked Sakura, stopping her meal for a second.

"Sure dear." Replied Sayaki, allowing Sakura to go on and explain the day's events to her.

There was a slight pause after Sakura had finished, though Sayaki wasn't sure whether Sakura was trying to regain her composure or if she was waiting for her to ask a question.

"I want to go." Came the words, finally. "I want to go with him and train."

Sayaki stared at her daughter, hoping she would continue and without fail, Sakura did.

"I don't know, mother. I just can't bear with the thought of not being able to see him. Even for such a short time period."

Sakura looked at the table, her face downcast, her eyes trying to hold back tears that somehow were fighting to escape. The girl looked up as a pair of arms wrapped around her, her mother no longer in her seat.

"It happens, Sakura-chan." She said, soothingly. "If you are in love or if he is a daily presence in your life."

"Which one am I?" asked the young girl.

"Only you will know that Sakura-chan. Only your heart will know that."

"What do I do?"

"Whatever your heart tells you to."

"Thank you, mother."

X—X—X—X—X

Hatake Kakashi returned to the hospital sometime around midnight, the moon sitting high in the sky, throwing soft and gentle light on to the Konoha rooftops.

"How did your training go?" came Jiraiya's voice as soon as Kakashi entered ear shot.

The silver haired Jounin ducked through the window taking the second seat in the room.

"It went well, I did not use all of my chakra in case I need some tonight."

Jiraiya nodded before he moved on to the actual topic.

"Kakashi, tell me about your other student." He said.

"What about her?" asked the Jounin.

"Her strengths, her weaknesses, her elements, ninja qualities."

"She's a rare one, much like Naruto." Started off Kakashi. "Two elements at this age, earth and water. Tenzou believes with her chakra control she may be able to use Mokuton."

This perked Jiraiya's interest. "If she can, she would be a great help to Naruto."

Kakashi nodded and continued. "Her mother is a doctor, and like her, Sakura is currently developing a tact for using medical ninjutsu for both healing and causing damage."

"The girl is fast. Uses pretty much the same training technique as Naruto and his influence on her shows."

"How?"

"Her fighting style, though still based on the academy style is more like Naruto's brawling. Random and devastating. The most damage, the fastest is their way of fighting. Her current knowledge of ninjutsu includes two doton, the kagebunshin as well as the chakra scalpel. I am not aware of Tenzo teaching her any more."

Jiraiya whistled.

"Why do you ask?" asked Kakashi.

"You know she overheard us today right?"

Kakashi nodded.

"I was thinking on taking her along, if she asked. Now, maybe I'll ask her myself. Tsunade will really be interested in her mix of qualities."

Kakashi nodded again. "So you wanted to plan a training regime for her as well?"

The Sannin gave a short nod.

"Can you get Tenzo to write a couple of scrolls on the mixture of the elements needed to produce Mokuton chakra?" asked Jiraiya. "I know some doton and suiton that could help her."

Kakashi nodded. "Want me to get Asuma to write a few on Futon while we are at it?" asked the Jounin and Jiraiya nodded.

"I doubt it will keep the brat occupied for long. But still it may be of use."

Kakashi nodded as Jiraiya stood up to leave.

"Do you think she will do it?" Asked Jiraiya as he stood near the window Kakashi had come in from.

"I think she will. I don't know exactly what she feels for him. But I believe she will go those lengths."

"See if you can get it for me tomorrow morning. I don't think he's going to stay asleep for long."

The silver haired Jounin nodded and watched the Sannin leave before he formed the handseals for the protective jutsu. It wasn't technically a barrier but it would warn Kakashi of anyone trying to enter the room and that would be all the time he would need. With the jutsu in place, Kakashi laid back and closed his lone eye, letting sleep take over him.

His last thoughts being, _Wake up, Naruto!_

X—X—X—X—X

The next morning was a late one for Sakura, one of the very few that she had actually allowed herself to sleep in. There simply was too much to think about the previous night that she had ended up staying awake. Now, the late morning was one of her very few regrets.

Haruno Sakura had walked into the hospital at roughly 11 am only to find that her team mate had been checked out and was virtually nowhere in sight. This, however, did not make her happy as it should have. No, it made her even more worried that Naruto and Jiraiya might have left without her.

It was during one of these stray panicked thoughts that Sakura ran into Jiraiya. The girl, still lost in thought and in a slight panicky state, mumbled a swift apology and was about to leap off when Jiraiya spoke.

"Why are you so worried?"

Sakura froze, finally realizing just who she had bumped into.

"I… I thought you and Naruto-kun had left." She said, a hint or relief seeping into her voice.

"No." replied the Sannin. "He just left to go get his things packed. Why? Is there something you wanted to tell him?"

Sakura stood silent for a moment before taking a deep breath and braving the question.

"No. Not him. I was… wondering… if I could… come along." She said, the pauses in between her words making it evident that she was really nervous.

"There is going to be a lot of danger on this trip, Sakura." Said the Sannin. "We might even get attacked by S-ranked criminal nin."

Sakura hesitated again, but she knew she had to take some risks if she wanted to stay with Naruto.

"Jiraiya-sama." She began. "I knew that this was full of risks the moment he told me about his… bloodline limit. I stayed by his side then and I don't intend to stop now."

"Why?" asked the Sannin, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Naruto-kun is more to me than just my team-mate, Jiraiya-sama. I do not know the full extent of my feelings for him but I do know that I will find it hard to be without him."

Jiraiya faked a sigh. "Very well. Go pack your stuff and come to the gate at mid-day."

Sakura stood still for a minute, pulling out the chakra in her weights, before she vanished, racing towards her home.

A smile appeared on Jiraiya's face as the girl left. It seemed as if this generations future was brighter than the past. With that, the Sannin jumped off himself, not towards his home but towards where Kakashi had said he would meet him with the scrolls.

X—X—X—X—X

By the time Uzumaki Naruto had gotten to the gate, Jiraiya was already present.

"Ne, Ero-sennin." Called the boy as he came closer, causing Jiraiya to glower at him. "Why exactly are we going on this trip?"

"I told you, Gaki. We are going so that we can find Tsunade and so that I can train you."

"I get that part!" retorted the blond boy. "I just have a feeling that you're not telling me something."

Jiraiya looked at the boy before speaking.

"Fine, there is something that I can't tell you. At least, for the moment." He said.

Jiraiya was literally shocked when the boy signed back to him. _Tell me._

Jiraiya debated the idea of signing the information to the boy but finally gave in. It was the civilian majority of Konoha that he wanted to hide this information from. He knew that the shinobi population now held Naruto in better light.

_S-ranked Criminal organization, after your prisoner._ Signed the Sannin and Naruto's eyes widened.

He knew what Jiraiya had just referred to, and he also knew that to extract the bijuu from the Jinchuuriki was to kill the Jinchuuriki. Now, Naruto understood the true reason for the trip and the reason that Jiraiya was the one that was taking him.

"So what are we waiting for?"

"Your girlfriend." Were the only words that came out of the Sannin's mouth and Naruto's eyes widened again before he realized who Jiraiya was referring to. This realization brought a slight tint to the blonde's face and Jiraiya shook his head.

Who knows, he thought, Minato and Kushina fell in love at around the same age, so might as well these two.

It was then that Haruno Sakura appeared over the rooftop and landed nearby Naruto.

"Where are your things?" asked Jiraiya, looking around for Sakura's pack.

The pink haired genin simply patter her scroll pouch and smiled while Jiraiya wanted to smack himself. He had known Naruto used the sealing method for all his equipment and he wondered why it had never occurred to him that Naruto had taught it to his only team mate.

"Alright, since we are all here now. Shall we head out?" asked the Sannin and both Genin nodded.

It would be their first time going out of Konoha with a Sannin, it was obvious that the both of them were excited.

X—X—X—X—X

**Oooh look… a chapter done… :P**

**Yayyy!**

**Review!**


	25. Chapter 25: The Clouds Begin to Move

Jozern: honestly, its not that Konoha doesn't recognize the loss of the Sharingan. Konoha has lost more than half of its active shinobi, some dead, some defecting along with Danzo.

Cenright: T_T what are you? A psychological analyst?

9-tailed reaper: no, no plans for that yet… but who knows… my story evolves each chapter T_T

Cerridwen: Dramatic much? :P

GODHAND Gene: I aint spoiling nothing for them :P

Greybear: what is the difference between a lemon and a lime? :S

Curious: its just who Naruto is. He trusts wholly with his heart and never doubts their motivations unless proven wrong. So no, I don't see it happening… coz simply… its been thwarted in this chapter…

Chaos Chronicle: I hope I didn't put you off doing yours :P

To the rest of you: Thanks! And enjoy!

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 25: The Search Begins

The trio of Konoha nin made up of Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura and Jiraiya of the Sannin walked along the road towards a nearby village, the two genin happily chatting away with each other as they walked.

"And so, Ebisu-ero did not have any idea that me and Ero-sennin knew each other and that he had been set up by Kakashi." Exclaimed the blond genin as he beamed at his team mate. "Boy, if you saw how he rocketed off at my Harem no Jutsu, you would have laughed yourself to death!"

Sakura just simply shook her head. The boy had spent the most of the hour already spent travelling talking about the prank he had played on Ebisu. Sure, the elite Jounin had deserved it. She herself had been there when he had called Naruto a dead last, one who would never survive in the real world without a sensei to look after him. Sakura had been shocked that such a famed teacher would ever call a genin such things and had been the one to tell Kakashi about the happening. Ebisu had even attributed the survival through the second exam to pure luck though deep down, Sakura thought he had attributed it to Naruto's tenant. To be honest with herself, she had actually found the prank funny, to see such a high esteemed Jounin sensei to fall for a lowly henge by a genin was hilarious.

This train of thought brought her to more serious matters, the matter being the only reason she did not laugh out loud. First, it had been the Oiroke no Jutsu and now with the incorporation of his Kage Bunshin, Naruto had developed a much more perverted Jutsu called the Harem no Jutsu which she had to agree that most men would fall for. Though she had to admit that it had its uses as ninjutsu, Sakura could not deny that it was a perverted jutsu. Surely Naruto had to have seen women and know about what kind of women men liked. It also had to mean that Naruto had seen what a woman looked like without clothes to be able to create one to such perfection. The thoughts of Naruto being like the Sannin ahead of them made Sakura angry. Did it mean that he had peeked on women in the bath? Had Naruto peeked in on her while she was bathing?

The last question made the pink haired girl blush a similar shade as her hair rather than make her anry and somehow, that blush transmitted her thoughts to her team mate.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I have not peeked in any bath houses unlike some white haired pervert."

Sakura was about to ask why Naruto had slowly raised his voice when her answer shouted itself out.

"I am no pervert!" said the Sannin. "You disgrace me by calling me a pervert!"

"I am the great Jiraiya, the legendary SUPER PERVERT!" said the man as he did a thumbs up pose with a sunshine background genjutsu and the two genin sweat dropped. Though it wasn't as bad as Gai's Genjutsu, both genin filed it at around the same disturbance level as the taijutsu masters'. It was simply something not to be witnessed unless under the most dire circumstances.

"Ne, Ero-sennin. Why exactly are we walking on foot?" asked Naruto, finally curious as to why they had not taken to the trees, surely the faster way to wherever they were heading.

"Because there is simply no way that you can read these while jumping from tree to tree." Said the Sannin as he tossed a scroll to each of the two genin which they unfurled as quickly as possible, excited to see what was written in them.

"Naruto, what you have there is a scroll on Fuuton Techniques. Sure, you have learnt the Reppuusho, but that scroll teaches you how to incorporate the wind element into your taijutsu style. Now you might question as to why incorporating your element into your taijutsu is important. If you look at the Yondaime Hokage, he incorporated his wind and lightning affinities into his style making him one of the fastest even without his Hiraishin. It was this speed that first made him a contender in Konoha."

"Sakura, what you have there is a Mokuton scroll that Kakashi got Tenzo to write, it's a scroll about mixing your natures to make Mokuton chakra."

Naruto was about to speak up when he was cut off by the Sannin.

"Now, I want you to shut up and read that before we get to the village. Once there, I will let you two have a few hours to try and practice what those scrolls say. I have more to teach you, but I will only do it once you finish learning those scrolls."

Naruto turned towards Sakura as he walked, giving her a questioning look.

"What has he gotten a stick up his ass for?" was what he asked and Sakura shook her head letting Naruto know that she had no clue. The boy shrugged and the two of them turned their attentions to the scroll. Sakura was thankful that Naruto had not considered asking her about her need to learn mokuton, she had no idea how she would explain it to him though she knew that it was best to tell him as soon as she could. The pink haired girl decided it would have to be that night. She could not afford to wait any longer if she wanted him to trust her.

Needless to say, the rest of the journey to the village was spent in more silence than chatter, both of the two young ones engrossed in the scrolls that they had received.

X—X—X—X—X

The trio reached the village 3 hours after they had left the homely vestiges of Konoha, the time nearing sunset. The Sannin had gotten them a hotel room, one for the Sannin and one for themselves and left to do some of what he called information gathering.

"Pft. All he is going to do is peek in more bath houses." Scoffed Naruto as he lay on his bed, his scroll spread out before him, his mind walking through the steps needed to produce Fuuton chakra.

"Naruto." Said Sakura as she sat cross legged on the bed next to him. "Have you ever considered that his information sources are prostitutes?"

"No." replied the boy. "Why would they be?"

Sakura sighed. Was Naruto really that clueless about some of the things?

"I read in a book that men are the weakest mentally when they are drunk and at their peak of sexual pleasure. Kunoichi can actually use that to get information about their villages or anything they want to. Once they have that information, it is simple for someone like Jiraiya-sama to go and collect it."

Naruto stared at Sakura for a while, not sure what to think of the information that she had just revealed.

His pink haired team mate looked at him and giggled. "I won't do that to you, Naruto-kun." She said.

Shocked, the boy echoed "Naruto-kun" as if he was in a dream like state.

"You don't like it? Do you want me to call you only Naruto from now on?"

"No, no! It's just that it is the first time that you called me that." He said, quickly trying to salvage things.

"Get used to it lover boy." Said the girl as she leaned over to give him a soft kiss on his lips.

She was sure she had heard him whine when she stopped, the look in his eyes confirming his want for more.

"Want more?" she asked with a seductive look and the boy nodded vigorously.

Sakura smiled, leaning over one more time. "I guess I can take a short break." She said as their faces neared each other.

X—X—X—X—X

Hatake Kakashi stood on the roof as he watched the two suspicious characters walk through Konoha's streets, the black cloaks with the red clouds on them making them stand out as much as a chidori's chirping made it stand out in the silence.

Uchiha Itachi had been fairly easy to recognize by the way he held himself, the shorter of the two Akatsuki members. Of course a lot of the recognition was Kakashi's recognition of Itachi's chakra signature from when they had both served in the ANBU. However, Itachi's partner was a mystery to the copy nin. The only useful detail he had noticed about the taller man was the large bundle he had slung on his back, a sword it seemed, making it likely that he in fact was on the seven swordsmen from Kiri.

Back-up was on its way, Kakashi opting for the small and covert call for help from his fellow Konoha Jounin than use the full force of the Konoha ANBU. There was some information that the copy nin wanted from the two intruders and the presence of the ANBU would ruin it all. There was a way to coerce information out of the enemy in a fight. The Jounin was simply waiting for the right moment to confront them and apparently the time had come.

Dropping to the street, the silver haired man put his hands in his pockets before walking over to the men with the red clouded robes.

"Hello Itachi-kun. Long time no see." Said the Copy nin as he neared the two.

There was no verbal response from either of the two men, instead a fully bandaged blade lashed out from under the taller man's robe, looking to slice the Copy nin in half.

Yet, the silver haired Jounin had already jumped back out of the swipes range.

"What are you doing here, Itachi?" asked Kakashi. "A Nuke-nin must know that to step foot into his home like that is literal suicide. You must have come here for a reason that you couldn't avoid."

"The Yondaime's Legacy. Tell me where he is." Spoke the elder Uchiha, not wanting to beat around the bush.

Kakashi just simply smiled back. "Now, what business do you have with Naruto-kun?" asked the silver haired man as he pulled his hands out of his pockets, ready to defend himself if need be.

Up on the roof, Yuuhi Kurenai had to fight to hold back a gasp that tried to escape from her mouth. The Yondaime's Legacy. Surely Kakashi could not be talking about the Kyuubi. So, did that mean that Naruto was the Yondaime's son?

The genjutsu specialist quickly snapped back to reality. This was something she would need to ask Kakashi, but now was not the time to think of it at all, after all, they had more pressing concerns.

"We simply wish to relieve Naruto-kun of the burden he has carried all these years." Said Itachi, his dark eyes staring directly into Kakashi's.

"You mean to extract the Kyuubi? It will kill him!" said Kakashi, acting though as if he was taken aback.

"So be it." Replied Itachi, his partner vanishing from his spot simultaneously.

Hatake Kakashi moved with speed Kurenai never knew he was capable of, revealing his Sharingan as well as taking out a kunai in a flash. The tall Akatsuki member appeared behind Kakashi just a split second after the Jounin had moved, the downward slice of the large sword flashing through thin air, the Jounin no longer there.

Uchiha Itachi, however, saw Kakashi move, and was impressed at how good Kakashi had gotten with the  
use of the Sharingan for someone not of the Uchiha clan. The clan murderer would have joined his partner in attacking Kakashi had it not been for the foot of Maito Gai that tried to slam in to his face.

The Uchiha considered himself lucky to have his Sharingan detect the move before it hit him, had he not, Itachi knew that he would have received a broken nose, been dazed and been on the back foot for the rest of the fight. The Sharingan wielder looked his opponent in the face, searching for the Taijutsu master's eyes, yet was distracted when the weight of the foot on his arm disappeared. His Sharingan barely registered the punch coming in from his right, before the fist connected with his face, throwing him into a nearby wall.

Itachi rolled, acting on pure instinct, barely avoiding the foot that punched a hole through the wall that had just broken his flight. Itachi cursed, Gai was fast and had not even glanced once at his upper body. There was no way that he could keep up with Konoha's Taijutsu master with the shape his body was in.

"Kisame!" called the Uchiha, hoping that his partner was not so lost in his bloodlust that the meaning of the message was lost.

Hoshigaki Kisame heard Itachi call to him and instantly knew what he wanted to do. Switch opponents so that it was Sharingan against Sharingan, and the blade master against the taijutsu master. The faster opponent against the faster one between them.

Kisame vanished from the spot, Kakashi looking around with his Sharingan trying to locate the blue colored nin. The silver haired Jounin found him a little too late, as the sword slashed downwards towards an unsuspecting Maito Gai.

"Gai!" yelled Kakashi, a flashback of what happened during his first mission as a Jounin flashing through his head, but the taijutsu master had already dodged.

A nod of the head was all the acknowledgement Gai gave Kakashi, before he turned his attention to the large sword that was heading his way. Their rivalry would have to wait till later as the both of them knew that their opponents were not two ordinary men.

Kakashi on the other hand, now found himself face to face with the strongest Uchiha that Konoha had seen apart from the legend of Uchiha Madara, the murderer of the entire Uchiha clan apart from his younger brother.

"Ne, Kakashi-san." Said Itachi as he activated his three tomoed Sharingan. "Shall we begin?"

X—X—X—X—X

Haruno Sakura ducked under the whooshing fist of her boyfriend, raising her fist in an attempted upper cut into the boy's stomach, yet she knew that he would be gone a split second before the punch landed.

Uzumaki Naruto was a hard opponent to fight against. Sakura had learnt that over the countless beatings she had received from him. What made him so difficult to beat was not his use of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Naruto, unlike most others who could use the technique, used his massive chakra supplies to produce clones at random times, be it for attacks, evasion or simply to block an unavoidable blow. The boy, being the most surprising ninja in Konoha, had invented his own taijutsu style around the use of Kage Bunshin and Kawarimi's.

But that wasn't the end of the tricks up his sleeve. Naruto's best quality was that he would have a different technique, a new ace up his sleeve every single time they fought, some tweak in his style or some new technique that he would use to throw her off her game. Today, it was his totally experimental use of the wind element.

All that Sakura heard was the passing of the wind before she felt his fist hit her stomach.

"Match." He said gleefully as Sakura staggered backwards, clutching her bruised stomach. Sakura knew that Naruto had not held back on the punch at all, instead throwing every ounce of strength and weight he could into it. Though Sakura was hurt, she was thankful that he didn't hold back at all. It was the main reason she had the toughness she had, the speed, the strength as well as the agility and she knew it would be the reason she stayed alive most of the time.

"Our one hour is up." Said Naruto as he looked at the moon high up in the sky.

Footsteps echoed in the silent night, both genin turning around, Naruto already familiar with the Sannin's presence.

"You are right." Said Jiraiya as he walked towards the duo of genin. "What is your progress?" asked the Sannin.

Sakura went first. "I've read most of the scroll, but I still cannot manage to produce any Mokuton chakra or anything that feels like it. The scroll talks of taking Suiton in one hand and Doton in the other before combining them to make Mokuton, yet, my water and earth manipulation do not seem to mix."

Jiraiya nodded. "I can understand where you get confused. If you will let me demonstrate, then maybe you will have a better grasp of what you are supposed to do."

Jiraiya formed a few hand seals before performing the Kuchiyose no jutsu and summoning a frog as tall as he was.

"I need some oil towards that rock." Said the Sannin to the frog.

"I don't have as much as the boss does." Replied the summon a bit cautiously.

Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively. "It's only for a demonstration." Said the Sannin and the frog nodded, cocking its head back and spurting some oil from its mouth.

Though small, the stream was just enough for Jiraiya to form his own hand seals and yell out the name of the jutsu.

"Katon! Gamayu Endan!" (Fire Element, Toad Oil Flame Bullet)

Once the oil had been ignited, Jiraiya hastily performed a Suiton from the river nearby and put the fire out before it spread further.

"Like my fire and his oil combined together to produce the jutsu, your earth and water have to combine to form the life that is essential for Mokuton. Whereas the elements needed for my jutsu combined outside the body, yours needs to be combined inside before you will have any Mokuton chakra at your disposal."

Sakura resisted the urge to slap herself, wondering how dumb she was not to realize that. Mokuton was a totally different element, not something that is combined outside the body. Her Mokuton, much like Haku's Hyoton needed chakra to be converted and molded inside before it was used in Jutsu.

"The idea is not to start performing Mokuton Jutsu." Said Jiraiya, catching a whiff of Sakura's thoughts. "The idea is for you to be able to mold Mokuton Chakra first and for you to build your Mokuton reserves. Only then can we start learning Jutsu or even creating them."

Of course! How could she have been so blind? How could she have expected herself to grow a small shrub on her very first try? To be able to create Mokuton chakra would be the very first step, the second being the refining of the chakra creation until it became subconscious. Then, she would have to build her reserves large enough so that she could start performing Justus.

The Sannin looked at Sakura, as if he was asking her if she had any questions that she wanted answered. Sakura didn't. In truth, all she wanted was for him to dismiss her so that she could go back to her training.

The Sannin did not say anything further to her. Not even one word of dismissal, instead the man shifted his attention to the other genin in his presence.

"Naruto." He said.

The blonde genin simply looked at the Sannin before he spoke. "Not out here. I'd rather not divulge any information about what I have learnt where someone can easily hear me."

The Sannin nodded. Naruto had a point. As Mokuton users or people that could possibly use Mokuton were rare, it was alright to clarify Sakura's doubts there, yet Naruto's progress and how he used Fuuton that night was something that they could not afford to have an Akatsuki member overhear.

"Let's head back to our hotel, we can finish this conversation there." Said the man as he walked off into the night, the two genin hurriedly following behind.

Though Sakura was a tad disappointed that she wouldn't get to try out the theory that very night, she was a bit grateful for the rest she would be getting instead. Besides, if she really wanted to practice chakra molding, then she could always use Kage Bunshin to help her out.

X—X—X—X—X

Yuuhi Kurenai lay on the rooftop, trying to suppress her chakra signature as much as she could. It had been her genjutsu that had mislead Itachi and Kisame into the area of Konoha that they were rebuilding, allowing Kakashi and Gai to engage them without endangering civilians. Yet the fact that such dangerous criminals were able to get inside Konoha at all disturbed her to no extent. But there were other things that disturbed her even more, such as the way Kakashi and Itachi stood on the road, just staring into each other's eyes without making a single move. Little did Kurenai know that they were in a battle themselves, the battlefield inside their minds.

Uchiha Itachi honestly wanted to spend as less time as he could inside the village of Konoha. Not only did it resurface memories that were unwanted, but it also let their prey get farther away from him and it was imperative that they catch their prey. On that line of thought, the elder surviving Uchiha brother had decided to use their advanced family doujutsu to end the fight quick and fast. Activating the Mangekyou was as simple as breathing for Itachi, casting the Tsukiyomi on Kakashi, the next to happen. However, what he had not expected was for Kakashi to fight back inside the genjutsu.

Itachi had entered the illusionary world much like he would have had he cast it on anyone else. This time, he had decided to crucify the form of Hatake Kakashi, not truly knowing what his opponents worst experience or fear was.

Itachi looked into the struggling Kakashi's eye and smiled. "You are now trapped inside my illusion. You will now see, hear and feel the pain of my torture for 72 hours continuously." Said the Uchiha as he stabbed a kunai into Kakashi's shoulder.

Hatake Kakashi elicited a guttural scream of pain that he himself had never thought he could, causing Itachi to smile much more sadistically. It was not until Itachi pulled out his second kunai, that Kakashi's mind started putting the pieces together.

It had been during one of his training bouts with Anko that Kakashi had first unlocked what he had found out later to be the Mangekyou Sharingan. He had put Anko in a similar illusion, just that Kakashi had not tortured the tokubetsu Jounin much like Itachi was doing. Though traumatized due to whatever illusion Kakashi had put up, Anko had told him about his Sharingan eye changing before he had caught her. It was that spar that had led the copy nin to search the entire Konoha Jutsu library for any information on other forms of the Sharingan. The silver haired Jounin had come up empty handed until he had told Jiraiya of the event. Now, all that the Konoha Jounin knew was what he had divulged from the scrolls on the Sharingan that Jiraiya had given him before he had left.

He knew from the information in the scrolls that the Mangekyou allowed at least three Jutsu's to be cast from it. One was a ninjutsu attack of black flames called the Amaterasu, while the second was a taijutsu shield name the Susanoo, and last but not least was the genjutsu he was now under named the Tsukiyomi. The Tsukiyomi worked by allowing the user to create illusions in the victims mind, traumatizing him with any experience the user put the victim through. Though the scroll had not given him any more information about the jutsu, he now knew that time was altered inside as well, the pain multiplication also a factor that he would need to add into the scroll.

Pain lanced through Kakashi's body as Itachi embedded his second kunai in Kakashi's thigh. The pain cutting through the Konoha nin as easy as a knife cutting through butter. Kakashi gritted his teeth, knowing that the pain was much more direct once inflicted straight to the mind rather than the body. There was no delays, only direct and raw pain.

_Concentrate. _Willed the Jounin. _I need to break this jutsu._

One of the most unique things he had read in the scroll concerning the Mangekyou was that it required another pair of Mangekyou eyes to counter any jutsu that was cast by it, in Kakashi's case, it would be his sole implanted Sharingan. The trick was, how would he do it?

Hatake Kakashi smiled at Itachi as the fourth Kunai drove in to his right palm, the Uchiha missing the smile that was thrown at him. Being close friends with one of Konoha's interrogation specialist was an advantage in certain cases, and this time was one time that it was paying off. He recalled one time with both Ibiki and Anko where they had discussed the strengths of the human brain, when Ibiki had claimed that the human mind was the hardest thing to break as it was so strong. If that were true, then, Kakashi assumed that it would be quite easy to counter an illusion that was thrown up inside his mind.

Closing his eyes, Kakashi willed his Mangekyou to activate itself, dispelling the illusion just as Itachi was about to stab him with the fifth kunai.

Uchiha Itachi, meanwhile, was about to log this fight as another one won when he felt his kunai stab through thin air. Confused and a little taken aback, Itachi leapt backwards once the illusion had started to fade. However, he did not miss the unusual shape the Kakashi's Sharingan had while he had done it.

X—X—X—X—X

Maito Gai leapt back as the bandaged sword sliced through the air above him, hitting the road hard as the next attack came in the form of a kunai aimed at his temple. His opponent, Gai had concluded, was no ordinary swordsman. He was no ordinary member of the seven swordsmen either, shifting between kenjutsu, taijutsu as well as ninjutsu as easily as anyone would during a spar.

"Suiton! Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" came the call as a water dragon shot out of the mist nin's sword, tearing the bandages as the water materialized. Gai's eyes widened at the new trick Kisame had pulled out of his sleeve, jumping away to a side as the jutsu slammed into the street.

Kisame and Gai were evenly matched, their speed, strength and agility at about the same level as each others. The only advantage that Kisame had was his extended reach due to his usage of his sword since Gai did not use a weapon.

"I see you noticed the uniqueness of my sword." Said Kisame as he hefted his sword again, the razor sharp scales on Samehada glistening in the sunlight.

"All I see is an oversized brush." Said Gai as he rushed Kisame again, pouring some chakra into his hits to increase the damage caused even if it was blocked. If Gai had no advantage over Kisame then he would create one by breaking the swordsman's sword in two.

The first punch flashed by Kisame's ear, the large blue man leaning to the left allowing him to use the momentum to swing his sword at Gai's head. By the time the sword had completed its movement, Gai had already ducked, pivoting on his left foot as he swung his leg at Kisame's midriff. Kisame saw the blow coming and managed to pull back Samehada between his body and the blow, sliding it sideways once the blow had landed on it.

Gai had a triumphant look on his face at the first blow before he felt chakra being pulled out of him and the taijutsu master disengaged, narrowing his eyebrows.

"Your sword eats Chakra?" he asked and heard laughter in reply.

"Yes!" yelled Kisame with glee. "Isn't Samehada a beauty?" he asked as he swung the sword in a wide arc hoping to catch Konoha's taijutsu master in his stomach.

"What's more? Samehada is no ordinary sword. She is designed not to cut, but shave!" yelled the man as he swung his sword time after time, backing Gai into an alleyway where the Jounin's movement was limited.

Swing by swing, even though the sword did not touch him, Gai felt his outfit being shredded, piece by piece.

"Oh, one more thing. Samehada eats chakra, and then, she can use it to perform her own jutsu's."

Gai wasn't given any time to react, a water dragon slammed into him from close range, lifting him up off the ground and slamming him into a dead end wall. The taijutsu master stood up groggily, barely avoiding the sword that slammed into the brick wall behind him. Gai saw the wall crack, the weapon lodged in it and the taijutsu master took full advantage of it, punching Kisame in the chest hard, sending him away from Samehada.

The advantage was with Gai now, and the taijutsu master would keep it that way. Help would arrive soon and once it had, these criminals were done for.

X—X—X—X—X

"So, you have the Mangekyou too?" asked Itachi, as he stepped back on the middle of the road, now outside the illusion and back in reality, his Sharingan fading into his normal black eyes.

"So that's what you call it." Said Kakashi. "Nice name."

The Konoha Jounin was trying to buy himself some time to catch his breath. The dispelling of the Tsukiyomi had taken a lot of chakra out of him and he was sure that its casting had done the same to Itachi. It was only a matter of time before one of them was too tired to move.

"Does your village know of what you did to attain that Sharingan?" asked Itachi as he charged the Konoha nin, avoiding the use of the Shunshin as to save chakra. "That you have to kill your best friend to get it?"

The revelation stunned Kakashi long enough for Itachi to be able to land a punch on the Jounin, the memories of Obito being crushed under a boulder trying to save him flashing through the Konoha nin's head. Little did the silver haired Jounin know that Kurenai had overheard the statement, fighting another gasp that tried to escape her mouth.

The punch jolted Kakashi back to reality, the man moving with the blow and pivoting before lashing a kick towards Itachi's face. The Uchiha jumped back, barely avoiding the sandal before disappearing from view.

Itachi appeared to Kakashi's left, the Jounins Sharingan barely registering the movement as a kunai came speeding in. Kakashi managed to react just in time, his arm raising itself and the kunai gripped in his hand to block it. Yet, Itachi was gone again in a second before Kakashi could mount a counter attack.

Kakashi moved, not wanting to stay in the same spot and offer the nukenin a stationary target. His roll to the left was perfectly timed, Itachi's chidori slamming into the earth where he stood, blowing chunks out of the ground. Itachi cursed, he knew Kakashi was at his limit, yet he also knew that he had pulled the chidori out too early in his hurry to finish the battle. Even though he hated to admit it, the two new chakra signatures that were nearing were not something he relished to fighting in his current state.

Itachi switched his Sharingan back on, and noticed the chakra laced around him.

"GENJUTSU!" hissed the man as he dispelled it, simultaneously trying to figure out when it had been placed. It could only have been straight after his usage of Tsukiyomi, maybe even when it had been effective.

Itachi tried to move and found out that he couldn't, something snaking up around his legs, immobilizing him. The missing nin looked downwards to see vines creeping up his legs. His activated Sharingan didn't register any genjutsu, so it had to be real, but who had the Mokuton ability to be so fluent at this? There was only one way that Itachi could get free and the Uchiha knew that he could not use it. The black flames of Amaterasu would burn everything, freeing him, but it would also leave him depleted of chakra so that he wouldn't be able to flee at all.

The sound of chirping grew louder, and figured out what was coming next. Itachi looked once at his partner, noticing that he was also under a genjutsu and sighed. It was too late now. Their infiltration had been a failure and all that was left was to close his eyes and let it end.

X—X—X—X—X

Hoshigaki Kisame had no idea that he was in a genjutsu until he felt Itachis' chakra spike. The blue man had turned around and found out that Itachi was nowhere near the place he had felt his chakra from.

Putting his hands in a seal, Kisame dispelled the genjutsu just in time to see Kakashi's hand plow through Itachi's chest, blood splattering all over the place. Kisame was about to move himself when he felt a chakra source appear next to him, a short blade flashing towards his neck.

The blue man jumped backwards, but it seemed as if the blade elongated itself, slitting Kisame's throat in mid air. The man felt the blood trickling down his chest and smiled.

"Don't think you have seen the last of us." He said, gurgling blood as he forced himself to speak.

It wasn't over yet, no, it had only begun

X—X—X—X—X

Naruto, Sakura and Jiraiya sat inside the genin's hotel room, resting and eating as they spoke about their day.

"So, Naruto. Progress?" asked Jiraiya, finally getting back to topic.

The boy nodded, placing his empty rice bowl on the floor before starting.

"Fuuton manipulation is not easy. I have not managed to do any of the exercises in the scroll. I can't cut anything yet. But I have managed to project a small blunt gust of wind in the direction of my punch. That's about it." He said.

Jiraiya nodded and Sakura looked at him in wonder. So it had not been his fist that had hit her stomach, but rather than blunt gust of wind that he had projected along with his blow.

"How do you do it?" asked Sakura.

"Simple." Said the boy. "Every movement you make creates a slight wind, be it a punch or a kick. Once you are able to create a bit of wind. Increasing the size of the wind is the harder part though, it's not as easy to expel wind chakra through a closed fist, but it is possible through the tenketsu. Once you had an amount of chakra laced in the air all you have to do is to force it that short distance towards the intended target. It's fast but hard to maintain. I don't see how it can be a long range taijutsu technique."

Sakura saw the simplicity in theory behind what the boy had done, but she also realized the amount of chakra he would need to expend if he were to fully integrate it into his taijutsu, he would need to expel so much wind chakra without the need for hand seals.

"What is your progress with the exercises?"

"Little." Admitted the boy. "I have managed to make a small cut in a leaf, but that's about it."

Jiraiya stood up, just after Naruto had finished explaining his progress, bringing both the genin to fix their gazes upon him.

"Alright. Since we have made progress tonight, I want you both to get some rest. We have an early day tomorrow."

The genin nodded. They had both understood the hidden message behind Jiraiya's words. They would need the rest. They couldn't afford to be depleted of chakra if they were to fall under attack.

Once the Sannin had left, both of the genin lay down on their beds, thoughts of the day going through their heads.

"Ne, Naruto-kun." Said Sakura, not even checking if Naruto was awake. "How do you become so good at Fuuton Manipulation? I can't even seem to get a basic of Mokuton."

Naruto turned on to his side, gazing straight at his team mate.

"What are you talking about? I'm the one behind you." Said the boy. "You already know most of Suiton and Doton manipulation."

Sakura could not do anything but admit it. It was true, she did have more fluency with her basic elements than he did. What she was having trouble with was mixing both of them.

"You think I could incorporate them into my taijutsu style?" asked the girl.

"Suiton, I'm not too sure about, water isn't so easy to get in all the environments you know. But Doton yes, I think you could. The Iwa nin do it, so why can't you?"

Sakura nodded visibly, her eyes fixed on Naruto.

"Ne, Naruto-kun. I… I need to tell you something." She said, not sure how to broach the subject of why she was studying Mokuton.

Though Sakura's eyes was not on Naruto's face, she knew that he was looking at her, listening attentively.

"When Tenzou-sensei first approached me about learning Mokuton, he told me a few things about its powers."

"I know." Interjected Naruto. "The Shodaime also had the Mokuton ability, and it is said that he was able to control the Bijuu themselves. I know that one of the reasons they are training you is in case I lose control of myself."

"How?" asked Sakura, asking how Naruto knew.

"I've been reading. Well, my Kagebunshin have atleast." Said the boy. "And you did tell me that it was the big thing you were training for." He added with a smile.

Sakura had completely forgotten the words she had said back in the tower during the second exam. The girl could not help but turn away and blush at the thought of the first kiss she had given him.

A moment of silence later, the both of them not having anything to say to each other anymore, Sakura felt a weight on her bed before a pair of arms encircled her, pulling her close and making her blush furiously.

"Good night, Sakura-chan." Came the blonde's voice from behind her and the pink haired girl blushed again. What would the Sannin think if he found out they had slept in the same bed? What would her mother think? It was also then that she realized that she didn't honestly care what they thought. She knew what she felt, and until her feelings changed, which she was very sure it wouldn't, she would continue to be Naruto's.

"Good night, Naruto-kun." She said, as she closed her eyes, a smile on her face. Finally, she decided, that he was getting some of the treatment he actually deserved.

X—X—X—X—X

Back in Konoha, however, things were not as peachy.

"What do you mean they are not Itachi and Kisame?" asked Hyuuga Hiashi as he looked at Hatake Kakashi.

"The men we fought were Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame." Said the Jounin. "Our Bingo Books confirm as much. The usage of the Sharingan and the sword called Samehada confirm their identities as well."

"But?"

"But, upon their deaths, we found the bodies to have changed into two different people. Two Chuunin level nin that went missing from Kiri a few months ago."

"What is the explanation of this?"

"We have none." Said Kakashi. "We feel, however, that it is a newly developed ninjutsu or someone's kekkai genkai, that allows them to project themselves on to dead bodies, allowing them to reanimate the corpse as themselves and use them in battle with limited abilities."

"So you believe that the original two nin are much stronger than the ones you fought?"

"Yes, Hyuuga-sama." Said Kakashi and Hyuuga Hiashi could only rub his forehead.

"So we can safely assume that they have gone after Uzumaki since he isn't in Konoha?"

"Yes."

"Can we send a Jounin team to reinforce them?" asked Hiashi.

"No, not if you don't want to attract attention to the trio."

Hiashi sighed. Kakashi was right. A Jounin team that went to reinforce Jiraiya would only draw attention to them and that would make sure they were found. His only option now, was to hope that Jiraiya had thought everything through.

"Alright. You can go now." Said the Konoha elder.

Kakashi nodded and opened the door before walking out. He was about to close the door when Hiashi spoke up again.

"Take this time and train yourself Kakashi. I have a feeling your team will need you soon."

Kakashi nodded. The thought had been on his mind as soon as they had found out that the bodies were different. Leaving the Hyuuga Manor, Kakashi headed towards the training grounds.

There was no time to be relaxed now.

X—X—X—X—X

Alright! Chapter 25 is done too.:D

Now as usual….

REVIEW!


	26. Chapter 26:Uchiha Itachi First Encounter

Jozern: No, in this fic, we are assuming the Chidori is an Uchiha Jutsu (since it is greatly dependant on the Sharingan), passed down from generation to generation so Itachi learnt it before the massacre. How Kakashi knows it, is through his Sharingan.

Codenamed-Bolt:

The Extenda-sword was actually Asuma, his sword did not technically extend, rather the wind chakra around it extended. This extension is limited to only a few inches.

I understand your point, but I'm not sticking with Canon in every single detail. If the body has enough chakra to be able to use the Mangekyou then the person using the jutsu can use it but the caster of the controlling jutsu HAS to be able to use it in the first place. And no, these bodies aren't limited to 30%, it simply makes use of whatever chakra the body had when it was taken control of.

Cerridwen: Patience, my dear. Patience

Wind797: Thank you for the, uh, graphic, explanation.

Aiten Kaito: then you better make this review long enough to make up for the last one :P

ZenNoMai: Technically yes, but all of the toad oil is used up in the jutsu, leaving only a smoldering patch of grass that may ignite again.

And thanks for the reviews reached 700 Fav's tonight… so I thought I'd upload this for you all :D

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 26: So You are Itachi.

The sun shone early into the room shared by the duo of Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura, their beds the same mess they had left them in two hours ago. The two genin, however, were long gone from the village, heading out with Jiraiya before dawn broke.

"Gah!" exclaimed Naruto as they walked along a narrow forest trail. "Why do we have to use this small road when we can use the main road or even better yet, take to the trees!" asked the boy as he swiped at offending branches that threatened to slap him in the face.

Jiraiya shook his head. "We're taking a slight detour." Said the Sannin as he kept on walking.

Naruto frowned but fell silent, obviously unhappy about the way the trip was going. The trio walked on for a little longer until Jiraiya stopped them for a slight break, the genin using this brief respite to have a small snack.

"Ne, Ero-sennin!" called the boy. "Why aren't we taking to the trees?"

"Why are you so impatient?" asked the Sannin back.

"Because I want to get to the next village so I can train!" said the blond genin. "This wind element crap is hard! I need all the time I can get!"

The Sannin stopped to think for a moment, he hadn't thought that Naruto would have gotten so frustrated with the training. He hadn't honestly planned for this to happen when he had requested the scrolls from Asuma and Tenzou.

Jiraiya had hoped that Tsunade would stay in the general area of where she had been sighted last, allowing Jiraiya to stop at villages in order to allow the two genin to train themselves. But, it seemed as if Tsunade was searching for something as well, her movements were erratic, appearing in villages all over the place and none in the same area. This complicated his plans as now, the team assigned to bringing back Tsunade could not sit still anymore.

"Alright." Said Jiraiya finally, sighing as he conceded to the two genin. "There is a need for change of plans."

"Change of plans?" asked Sakura.

Jiraiya nodded. "My spies have spotted Tsunade in a different village, not even close to where she was earlier. It means only one thing, that there is something that is causing her to travel fast."

"Then why are we walking?" asked Naruto, the Sannin's explanation obviously making him unhappier.

"Because I needed some time to think." Said the Sannin. "We need to move fast and light from now onwards if we have a hope of keeping up to speed with Tsunade, which means less time in village's and training."

This sentence brought up a chorus of complaints from the two genin which Jiraiya silenced with a raise of the hand.

"I promised the two of you that I would train you on this trip, so, I've come up with a jutsu I want the both of you to learn until we find Tsunade. Afterwards, we can take things slow and let you two go back to the scrolls." Said the man, adding something he knew would win both the genin's votes.

"It's one of the Yondaime's personal favorites that he created and I am the only one alive that knows how to do it."

There was a slight pause as the words registered in both Naruto's and Sakura's brains.

"So, do you want to learn it?"

The two genin literally leaped off of their feet at Jiraiya's question, both of them going into rants of why he was even asking them if they wanted to learn it.

"Is it the Hiraishin? Or some sort of seal jutsu that I can use to pull people into black holes or something?" asked Naruto, bounding up and down with joy, apparently forgetting his earlier anger at the Sannin.

"Whoa Whoa!" said the Sannin. "Hold your horses. And no it's not the Hiraishin."

The genin immediately stopped jumping around and acting like children, looking at the man sternly as if to ask. "What is it?"

Jiraiya sighed with the barest hint of a smile before thrusting his hand out, palm upwards. "Watch." Was the only word that the man spoke before he started accessing his chakra.

Naruto watched the space just above Jiraiya's hand, wondering what he was supposed to see, when the blue chakra began to swirl around. Slowly, but evidently, the sphere of chakra grew, until it resembled a blue ball of whirling chakra in the Sannin's hand.

"Visible… Chakra…" breathed out Sakura. "Just how much are you using?" she asked.

"Enough for a B rank Jutsu." Said the Sannin. "But this is an A rank Jutsu because of the damage it inflicts."

To demonstrate his point, Jiraiya walked over to a nearby boulder, one just a bit shorter than he was and simply thrust it towards the rock. Though it did nothing at first, the boulder started caving in as the ball neared it, the ball grinding against the rock, burrowing into the boulder as Jiraiya thrust his hand in, gouging a hole into the rock. Naruto was about to comment on the weakness of the Jutsu when the other side of the boulder blew outwards, some of it ground into fine sand.

Both Naruto and Sakura ran to the other side of the rock, their jaws dropping at the sight of the hole it had created.

"The Rasengan was not designed to pierce, like the Chidori. On the contrary, the Rasengan was made to obliterate an opponent's insides, making the smallest of surface wounds in the process. And this damage, is exactly why it was deemed an A rank jutsu."

"How come only you and the Yondaime know of this Jutsu?" asked Sakura, wondering if there was no history about how it was passed down from ninja to ninja, through the villages.

"Because the Yondaime created it himself and me the only one he taught it to." Said the Sannin. "Mind you, the Yondaime died before he could complete this jutsu, the next step he had decided on being the inclusion of an element into it."

Naruto's mind was now reeling with the information he had been given about a simple jutsu. If the Rasengan was this strong when it was incomplete, imagine just how strong it would be once you added an elemental affinity to it.

"But, before you two go on to improving the jutsu, first, you have got to learn it." Said the Sannin, deflating the two genin's hopes.

Digging into his backpack for a second, Jiraiya pulled out two balloons which he filled with water. Handing a balloon to a genin, one each, the Sannin took one balloon and filled it up for himself.

"The first step in learning the Rasengan, is to burst this water balloon, using your chakra and your chakra only. No elemental manipulations must be used. This is the basis in the damage caused by a Rasengan." Said the man, as he demonstrated by bursting the water balloon as easily as he would have burst an air balloon.

"Now, I want the two of you to try that as we move, Tsunade does not like to use chakra and trees like most ninja do. So we can easily catch up if we keep on moving. No breaks in villages except to rest and eat."

The two genin fell silent for most of the trip to the next village, each of them fully concentrated on their balloons and rotating the water in it, eyebrows furrowed and trying to get the balloon to burst.

X—X—X—X—X

Approximately around noon, the trio of Konoha nin reached a village that for some odd reason, did not have a name to refer it to with. Neither of the genin had actually noticed that they had neared a village till Jiraiya had spoken to them.

"We're here." Spoke the Sannin, pausing shortly before he continued "Now, I want the both of you to head to the center of this village. There is a motel there, where you can rest up as well as eat. Get all three of us one room and wait there for me, I need to go gather some information."

The two genin nodded to the Sannin heading off towards the center. They had only walked a few feet away when Jiraiya spoke again.

"If you want, you can use this opportunity to go back to the scrolls I gave you and try a few things out."

The duo of genin nodded once again before setting off on their way towards the motel.

"God, this Rasengan technique is hard." Moaned Naruto as soon as he was confident that he was out of Jiraiya's earshot.

Sakura nodded. "I can't get my balloon to burst either, I've tried rotating it in different direction but all I keep getting is a bulge."

"Same here." Replied Naruto. "I've tried rotating it at different speeds and no honest result. I was going to try what you did, but I see no sense in that now either."

Sakura frowned as they entered the motel and asked the innkeeper for a room. Naruto was sure that the innkeeper had been taken aback at such a young couple asking for a room but had let it go once his gaze had fallen on to the Konoha headband that Naruto had tied across his forehead. Worse, Naruto was sure Sakura had seen the reaction as well, and he was worried that Sakura might try to deck the man then and there.

Being the salvager of disasters many a time, Uzumaki Naruto did the only thing he could, snatching the keys to the room from the innkeepers hands before dragging a fuming Sakura to where he assumed their rooms were. Thankfully for him, his gamble had paid off and they found their room without much of a hassle and proceeded to literally shove Sakura inside.

Once inside, Naruto locked the door and turned around to face a very irate Sakura.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, her hands placed on her hips.

"Would you rather I let you hit the man and then get the both of us thrown out of this motel?" he asked.

Sakura huffed but said nothing, she could see the truth in the boys reasoning and had to admit that she had over reacted just a little. After all, what the innkeeper believed was his own opinion, it didn't really matter to either of the ninja.

"So, what do you say we get back to our scrolls?" said Naruto. "We can send some Kagebunshin out to try out our methods after."

"Sounds like a plan, but this time, we do it my way." Said Sakura, an idea creeping into her mind.

X—X—X—X—X

Exactly an hour and a half later, Uzumaki Naruto stood from the floor, arching his back as he tried to bring flexibility back into his limbs. A scroll laid at his feet just in front of the second scroll which Haruno Sakura was reading.

"Gah!" exclaimed Naruto as he stretched out. "I can't believe how frustrating this jutsu learning business is when you don't have someone that can guide you the entire way."

A grunt was the only response from his team mate, too irritated herself to even bother giving him a proper reply.

"So, any progress?" he asked, curious as to what Sakura had learnt in the past hour.

"The possibilities of this is limitless." She said, falling into her analytical mind set as she started telling him everything she had learn from reading the scroll.

"You could create such a versatile taijutsu style if you learn to incorporate your wind element into it perfectly. The wind blades could be a way to kill opponents, those who dodge even slightly will fall victim to it." She said.

Naruto frowned at the statement. He had also realized its killing potential but couldn't bring himself to incorporate it into his taijutsu as a killing weapon.

"I know," He said. "I realized that too, but I don't really want to be a killer, you know? I want to be more of a protector. The almighty Hokage." He said, adding to make light of the topic.

There was a slight pause as Naruto thought, deciding to add a little more detail into what he had already said.

"Besides, a lot of my fights are going to be spars. I can't have a friend accidentally dying by one of my wind blades." He said.

Haruno Sakura decided not to say anything further on that topic. She knew what kind of a guy Naruto was, caring and kind and it had been one of the reasons that she had been drawn to him more than any other Konoha genin once she had realized how much of a jerk Sasuke really was.

"Moving on, I was wondering why you didn't start developing a cushion or a shield into your taijutsu style. It could come in handy with the blunt projectile thing." She said and Naruto had to admit that it made a lot of sense.

"I hadn't thought of that." He admitted to the girl. "But, will give it a try."

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Yeah. For your speed, you do realize that a lot of what slows you down is actually the wind resistance on your body right?" she asked and the boy nodded.

"Well, imagine if you could split that air in front of you, so that there was no wind resistance on your body."

"I would move much, much faster." He said, his face splitting in an ear to ear grin. "I wouldn't know what I would do without you, Sakura-chan." Said the boy, moving to hug her only to be able to make a purely instinctual dive on top of her, pushing her out of the way as the motel room door came flying inwards.

The two genin jumped up immediately, hands reaching for their weapons holders instinctively. Though their kunai and shuriken were sealed into their gloves, both Naruto and Sakura had decided to wear weapon holsters, one reason being able to fool most nin into thinking they actually had all their weapons in them. But, it was the two people that stood in front of them that stopped their movement, sending a chill down their spines.

In front of them, stood Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame, both of them in their Akatsuki gear minus the straw hats on their heads. Though the genin did not know exactly who these two people were, they could feel the power emanating from them both. It wasn't until Itachi activated his Sharingan that Naruto managed to speak.

"Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Sasuke's elder brother and the murderer of the entire clan." Hissed the boy, Sakura having half a mind to ask how Naruto knew all of that but decided that it could wait.

Kisame smiled at Naruto. "Impressive for a gaki." Said the shark man. "Though I'm not too sure you know about me."

"That's right. I don't." said Naruto, trying to buy some time, hoping for Jiraiya to come in to the motel at any second. "Why are you here?" he asked, his voice wavering with uncertainty.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Son of the Yondaime Hokage and the Kyuubi no Jinchuuriki, we are here for you." Said Itachi as he stepped forward, his words causing both of the genin to gasp audibly at the information that was revealed about the boy.

Itachi was only one step away from the boy when he smirked.

"I'm sorry. But Naruto is not in the building." Said the boy before the two genin disappeared in puffs of smoke, leaving Itachi and Kisame in the room, alone.

"Kage Bunshin." Stated the ex-Konoha nin while his partner looked at him as if it was ridiculous.

"You didn't realize that?" asked Kisame.

"Thought something was wrong, but I didn't think his chakra reserves were that extensive." Stated the Jounin. "We must get to the boy before Jiraiya manages to find him."

Kisame nodded and the two missing nin vanished from the corridor.

X—X—X—X—X

Meanwhile, Jiraiya was walking along the streets of the village, a lovely brunette in one hand when he felt the chakra release of a high level Shunshin.

The white haired man gave a sigh as he looked at his companion, mumbling a sorry before putting his hands in the cancel seal and cancelling the jutsu placed upon her by Itachi's Sharingan.

Picking her up before she fell to the floor, Jiraiya vanished from his spot, appearing inside the motel that Naruto and Sakura had been sent to. Looking around, Jiraiya tried to sense Naruto's chakra signature and found it just outside of the village, Sakura with him. Jiraiya also felt two chakra signatures, one that he easily identified as Uchiha Itachi closing in on them.

Asking the innkeeper for a room, Jiraiya hoped that Naruto and Sakura could last against them until he arrived to help.

X—X—X—X—X

Both Naruto's head as well as Sakura's snapped upwards and towards each other as their clones dispelled, all the information including everything they had read, heard and felt being transmitted to the original upon the cancellation of the technique.

"We have company." Said Naruto as he stood up, pulling all of the chakra out of his weights. Sakura quickly followed suit, knowing what the glance he had given her meant.

The two Konoha nin watched as both Itachi and Kisame landed in front of them, both ready and tense for action.

"You do know that I'm not coming along without a fight." Said Naruto as he looked in Kisame's eyes.

"These kids are good." Said Kisame with a shark toothed grin. "They aren't looking in your eyes at all."

"We learn." Said Naruto, nodding at Itachi. "He isn't the only Uchiha we've faced."

Sakura vanished the next instant, appearing just in front of Kisame, lashing out with her foot. The ex-Kiri nin brought up his sword instinctively, the contact of the sandal causing the bandages around the blade to be shredded.

Kisame was allowed no respite, Naruto appearing just above Sakura, his foot trying to find purchase on Kisame's jaw. The blue colored man gritted his teeth as he brought up Samehada, the revealed blades of the sword shaving a piece of Naruto's sandals.

Sakura was mid way through the air when Uchiha Itachi appeared in front of her, a fist headed towards her face. The young genin was pushed aside as a gust of wind pushed her to the ground, saving her from a very painful meeting with the Uchiha's fist, Naruto hit in the stomach by a knee as he saved Sakura.

"Kisame! We need the boy alive!" said Itachi as he flashed through hand seals, calling out the name of the Jutsu as he finished, breathing fire towards Sakura, his objective, to keep the two genin separate.

"Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" came the call as the fire jutsu came speeding at Sakura, the genin pulling out that very scroll she had used against Sasuke.

"Suiton! Mizu no Tate! (Water Release: Water Shield)" was the call as water poured from the scroll, crashing into the fire jutsu and nullifying it.

These brats are full of surprises, thought Itachi, but was distracted by a new and stronger chakra signature approaching. There was only one person that could be so close to them and as strong as Itachi knew the man was.

"Kisame! Pull back! We can't take them on plus a Sannin!" said Itachi, grabbing the cuff of the shark man as he rubbed his chest. Kisame gave Naruto a deadly glare before the Akatsuki duo took off, Jiraiya arriving just seconds after they had left.

"You guys okay?" asked the Sannin as soon as he arrived.

Sakura nodded and looked at Naruto who looked stunned before saying. "I think we need to have a talk."

X—X—X—X—X

"So he told you that huh?" asked Jiraiya as he rubbed his brow. "To be honest, I was planning on keeping it a secret to you at least until you reached Jounin or by your 18th birthday."

"Why?" asked Naruto as he played with his food.

Sakura looked at him with concern. Naruto was not one to play around with his food, especially if it was ramen.

"Well, your father had many enemies, most of them from the village of Iwa when he took apart a lot of them on his own. We thought the best way to protect you would be to hide it from as many people as we could, and you were simply too young. Would you have kept quiet if I had told you then?"

Naruto shook his head.

"Well. If it makes you feel any better, I'm the only one who knows apart from Kakashi and the Sandaime. We told no one. It is one of the reasons that he even asked the Sandaime to allow him to train just a two man squad."

Naruto nodded again, obviously deep in thought.

"Finish your lunch and meet me outside. I need to get some fresh air." Said the Sannin as he walked out of the restaurant, leaving the two genin alone together.

"Naruto-kun. You have to eat." Said Sakura as she moved closer to him, embracing the boy in a hug.

"All this time." He said, his voice quivering so bad that she knew he was about to cry. "All this time, I thought I had no family, that I was just a boy left behind by some traveling family. And now this, it's just too much to take in Sakura-chan."

"Well, think of it as more motivation to become Hokage." Said the girl as she rubbed Naruto's back. "At least now you know that being Hokage runs in your family."

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle as Sakura's reasoning.

"But things are going to change Sakura-chan." He said. "As soon as people know, they'll start fawning over me and I might end up like our friendly emo bastard."

"People aren't going to find out for a long time Naruto-kun. And when they do, they'll finally realize that the way they have been treating you is totally wrong."

"Sakura-chan!" Said Naruto as he looked at her with horror, causing Sakura to almost panic. "I'll have a fan club of girls chasing me!" exclaimed the boy before he let his head fall on the table with a loud bang, the customers sitting at the nearby tables looking at them in curiousity.

"Naruto!" said Sakura as she realized something. "The water balloon!"

"What?" asked the boy as he raised his head.

"Sit up!" she said, waiting until he was sitting straight before slamming the table gently and pointing at his ramen bowl.

Naruto watched as the broth sloshed around, some of it spilling from the sides of the bowl. "What?" asked Naruto, confused as to what Sakura's point was.

"You see how the broth spills when it changes direction rapidly?" she asked and the boy nodded.

"Now, imagine the broth inside a balloon. Rotate the water inside the balloon rapidly in multiple directions."

"And the balloon pops because its elasticity has been reached." Said the boy as he caught on to his pink haired girl friend's train of thought, grabbing her and kissing her on her lips in his joy, causing the girl to blush a deep shade of red.

"Alright!" said the boy as he stood up and made to go towards the entrance, the only thing holding him back being a very dominant team mate.

"Not until you finish these three bowls."

"But Sakura-chan!" whined the boy.

"No buts, finish it or no kisses for the rest of your life." She said sternly and the blond boy knew that he had been cornered with ease. With reluctance that soon vanished, the blond sat down to his three mega bowls of ramen.

X—X—X—X—X

"So you guys ready?" asked Jiraiya as the trio walked out of the village, fifteen minutes later.

The genin nodded, Sakura speaking up soon after. "We also figured out the trick behind the Rasengan."

"Oh?" asked the Sannin, looking at the two genin curiously.

"Yup." Chirped Naruto happily. "The main idea of the Rasengan is rotation of chakra. Not only in one direction, but in multiple directions which create a kind of a drill effect."

The Sannin was impressed to say the least, the two genin had gotten the idea of the jutsu much faster than he had anticipated.

"Well done." Said the Sannin. "I'm impressed. I expected you guys to take about two days to figure that one out." He admitted.

The white haired man then narrowed his eyes. "I assume you can pop the balloon then?" he asked and the two genin smiled, pulling their hands out from behind their backs before popping the balloon they had in them.

The demonstration confirmed that they had indeed understood the technique behind the rasengan.

"Alright, as much as I would love to introduce you guys to the second step, Itachi and his friend has managed to delay us longer than we should have been, so I need you guys to move fast until nightfall. Understood?" asked the Sannin and the two children nodded.

"Ano, do you think they will come back?" asked Sakura.

"Honestly? No, they now know that I will be keeping a closer eye on the both of you while on this trip, I doubt they will come for you again."

Haruno Sakura nodded, satisfied with the answer that the Sannin had given them. Sakura had clearly seen the skill difference between them and the Akatsuki nin, even one of them would have been strong enough to overpower them once their methods were found out and she was in no way keen on facing one again so soon.

"Let's move!" yelled an impatient blond boy and the Sannin sighed while Sakura suppressed a smile.

If the both of them knew something, it was the fact that life would never be quite or slow with the hyperactive blond ninja around

X—X—X—X—X

The rest of the day went in a blur of green as both trees and hills flew past the trio, Jiraiya pushing the two genin as fast as they could, the two genin discussing chattering between themselves as they ran.

Jiraiya made a mental note to congratulate Kakashi on a job very well done once he had gotten back to Konoha. The silver haired Jounin had done something only a few Jounin had been able to do since the Sandaime had trained the three Sannin. Kakashi had literally taken two under developed ninja and made them into what Jiraiya now saw as the best of their generation, even surpassing the geniuses like Hyuuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke.

What Kakashi had built was a highly cohesive team. One that could perform in any situation without a Jounin to guide them, one that would even offer a good fight even if each member of the team was separated from each other. But what had impressed Jiraiya the most was not the strength of the squad that their Jounin sensei had taught him. No, what impressed Jiraiya was the improvement visible in the squad.

He had seen Naruto in the academy, barely able to pass a written test or a ninjutsu test, though most of it could be attributed to the biased teaching of the academy staff. He had seen him learn the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and push himself harder than anyone else could. He had seen Sakura join him in his training, giving him someone to have fun with as well as someone that would give him company. But most of all, he had seen Kakashi devote time to his two genin, giving them methods and jutsu to train using, pointing out flaws and helping to correct them whenever he could. Jiraiya knew that without Kakashi, the two genin would be no where as close to where they were now.

And now, he was witnessing firsthand how these two actually trained. Attempting something by themselves for the first time, tweaking their methods bit by bit until they hit a wall. Then, the interesting twist came into play. The next step in their training method was actually swapping training material between themselves. Jiraiya had no idea if Kakashi knew about this at all, but in theory as well as from what he had just heard, it worked like a charm.

Jiraiya had heard a full half an hour of Naruto's thoughts as well as questions about the Mokuton style of ninjutsu. He had heard the boy asking how Sakura had attempted to create chakra, giving her his own opinions and suggestions as to what she could do to increase her fluency with its creation. As Jiraiya had said, neither of the genin had actually spoken about anything further than the creation of Mokuton chakra.

Upon reaching the village, Jiraiya had rushed them to a motel, renting two rooms and showing them to one before he had explained the second step of the Rasengan to them. In actuality, Jiraiya had been very curious as to how they would attempt the second step, now that they knew the difficulty of learning how to do the Rasengan. To the Sannin's disappointment, he had heard little from the two genin next door once he had left them alone. Simply, Jiraiya had too many things to consider and to think about than he actually admitted and the Sannin had to prioritize.

Neither of the trio knew exactly when they had fallen asleep, the Sannin being the first to doze off into dream land, Sakura following soon after. The only reason they knew that Naruto had been the last one to sleep was due to the complaints the innkeeper had received of a voice cursing about the difficulty of a damned jutsu by the customers that had taken the room just below them.

The Sannin had also been the first one to awaken, the sun not yet risen at all when he had roused from his slumber. Feeling a bit of sympathy for the two genin, Jiraiya decided to let them sleep a little longer just that day only. He knew, by the information that his toads had brought him earlier the previous night, that catching Tsunade would turn out a bit trickier than usual. There was only one thought on his mind as the white haired man lay on his bed and thought about the route that they would have to take.

What exactly are you looking for Tsunade?

X—X—X—X—X

Another Chapter done after long sleepless nights of just not being able to sleep T_T I hope in all honesty that my lack of sleep has not ruined the quality of my writing.

I would like to note a few things before the next chapter.

Yes, Naruto AND Sakura will learn the Rasengan way faster than Naruto did in cannon.

Umm.. yeah that's about it for now :P

REVIEW!


	27. Chapter 27: A tale of two offers

Alright… first things first… thank you all for sticking with me for so long… and happy new year + happy Christmas to you all.

Leonineus: I don't know either… I wish I did…

Ofunu: Nice idea about the Rasengans… but I got a few up my sleeve that I will let you know later.. if you are interested… inbox me and we'll talk about them

DemosJones: No, no one will have a Rasengan that will be a different color, unless he/she were to use demonic chakra.

Loneknight: Sorry about that, but I thought it would speed up Naruto's learning if she were to learn by his side.

Codenamed-bolt: Soon, you will find out about Sasuke soon.

Jozern: true, Sakura has called him that earlier… but not since they became officially together.

Alexmaster: yeah, probably… but not till Naruto returns from training.

9-tailed Reaper: I don't know yet.

Deathmvp: Err… no… that won't work… I'm afraid the whole Rasengan feel is lost the moment you put it somewhere other than your hand.

TheredfoxRJ: Why Sakura? Why not?

Kael Hyun: My OC's have an important part in the story… and they are in no way off this fic… merely out of vision.

Kolaris: Yeah. Uchihas made the chidori… Raikiri is Kakashi's own, a buffed up version of the chidori… lets just say he made the raikiri without the use of his implanted Sharingan.

KasDee: I don't quite get what you meant about Sakura and Naruto… but the rest I understand… and I am in no way overbuffing them… it will all make sense in time

GouberMan: Not everything revolves around Sasuke…. You cant just expect him to up and vanish either… and the Chidori… Danzou knows it… he has shisui's eye…

Alright… that's about it for the reviews… if you guys have any major questions that you think might ruin the plot… inbox me and I will tell you what I have planned so far

As usual I hope you enjoy your read… and sorry for the awkwardly short and rushed chapter. Got loads more planned for the next.

X—X—X—X—X

WS chapter 27

The four days that followed the Team 7 genin duo's encounter with the Akatsuki duo of Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame were four days that they would forever be grateful for. Wary of a second attempt, the Sannin Jiraiya had stayed with them the entire four days, sparring with them and helping them with their elemental training and for him, it had been a world of new realizations as well.

Within these very four days, Jiraiya had seen the duo that he could now compare with the Sannin at the same age train themselves diligently, not only on the second step of the Rasengan but also on the scrolls that were given to them upon embarkment.

It had taken the duo exactly four days to complete the second step of the Rasengan, the power they had in their Rasengan techniques finally satisfactory to the Sannin. It had taken the Yondaime Hokage a month to create that very step, though Jiraiya could not help but attribute some of the time to the actual thought process required to implement that step.

Safe to say, the duo were now on the third and very last step that involved the rotation of their chakra inside a thin balloon, the step focusing on how to control the power that their spheres contained. Jiraiya wondered if they would have completed it faster if they had not had their attention divided between that, finding Tsunade and also their other training.

The days had proven to Jiraiya that the two genin were a duo that were cut throat in their training and the Sannin had found out the hard way. Their schedules were flexible, but they would always touch on each aspect of their ninja skills once a day. They absolutely refused to go to bed without doing that and Jiraiya wondered if that was why they were improving so rapidly on all fronts.

But it was the previous day's taijutsu spar that had caught Jiraiya's attention the most, the two genin taking on the Sannin much like in their bell test. But this time, there was no objective, nothing that held them back or made them plan something different, nothing that had limited their scope of movement or techniques. Just to be on the safe side, Jiraiya had asked them to come at him with all they had.

Jiraiya had been impressed. The speed and the execution of the moves, Naruto matching Sakura and vice versa every step of the battle was unrivaled, something Jiraiya had previously assumed only twins could manage. Only Kami knew how much time training together had brought them to that capability, instinctively knowing where the other would be and planning their moves beforehand. But, as always, with the pro's, Jiraiya also found numerous flaws in their style which the Sannin had been very happy to point out to them.

"Before I begin, I want you both to know that you should not be disappointed in what I have to note. You two are very young and honestly well deserving of the Chuunin rank at this very moment. There is no way, that I would expect you to have a virtually flawless combination, you, unlike a lot of other shinobi that work together, have only had the most of an year to work on it and neither of you are at the peak of your capabilities. Understand?" he had begun, continuing when the two of them had nodded.

"That said, you two have one of the most effective combined fighting styles that I have seen. Your timing is impeccable, each of you taking turns, yet appearing at unpredictable places to attack your opponent. Though it isn't good enough to take on an S ranked nin or a Sannin like myself, I can see other good ninja hard pressed to defend themselves against the both of you and with the improvements you are making to your solo styles, I can only see this combination getting stronger."

"The largest flaw that I saw in your style is that the both of you, strictly fight using only taijutsu when alongside each other. Why is that?"

Sakura had looked at Jiraiya, not knowing an answer to give him, wondering why she hadn't noticed it herself earlier. It was not until Naruto spoke that the real reason behind sticking to strictly taijutsu moves became apparent.

"I don't want to hit her." Said the blond boy, his face lowered. "We all know I have pretty lousy control over my chakra and my jutsu, even though it's much better off than when we started. I can't afford to misjudge an attack and have it land on her. With the amount of chakra I pour into almost any jutsu, I could kill her with one hit."

"Naruto-kun." Whispered Sakura so quiet that neither of the two heard it, her heart touched by the amount of care that he had shown. Jiraiya meanwhile stroked his chin a little bit.

Maybe, this soft spot was one they could use if and when Naruto lost control of the Kyuubi. However, if Akatsuki found out, it could also be one thing they could possibly use against him as well.

"Good that you can at least admit that." Said the Sannin. "Since you did admit it, we are going to train you not to hit your partner and that goes for the both of you."

"How?" asked the blond ninja, his interest piqued and wondering if there was a way to do that that he himself hadn't thought of.

Jiraiya had just opened his mouth to speak when a poof of smoke erupted in their midst, the two genin reaching for their weapons.

"Yo!" came a voice as the smoke cleared, revealing a small red toad much smaller than the cloud had been.

"Gamakichi." Breathed Naruto, his hand on his racing heart, his face expressing massive relief at the sight of the toad and not an Akatsuki member.

"Who did you think I was? Itachi?" asked the son of the toad boss, an eyebrow raised sarcastically. The blond ninja could have sworn he had seen a flicker of a smirk tug on the corner of Gamakichi's lip.

Naruto was about to say something when Jiraiya waved him down. Summons would not summon themselves unless it was urgent or unless they were sent to him.

"Gamakichi, the message." Said Jiraiya as he looked at the young toad.

"Oh right. Dad said to tell you that Tsunade was headed your way, to some Tanzaku Gai."

There was an instant gust of wind as the trio of humans in the room instantly vanished from their spots, each of them already packed and ready for the trip. The small toad had to cover his face and pray for dear life until the wind died down showing him that he was now the sole occupant of the room.

"Oh well, guess I'm dismissed then." Said the toad, shrugging to himself before he disappeared the same way he had come.

X—X—X—X—X

Senju Tsunade furrowed her brows as she walked upon the road leading towards Tanzaku Gai, her fists clenched in frustration.

"Tsunade-sama." Came a whisper as Shizune who was walking just a few steps behind her, lowered her head in sadness.

It had been weeks since Tsunade had received the message, the contents which Shizune had never seen and never would, the parchment being destroyed by way of jutsu the very moment it had been read. The excuse being that the information in it could not be allowed to fall into the hands of anyone else, lest the information be found by someone else.

It had been weeks since the message had sent her mentor on a wild goose chase to every single one of her secret laboratories, a goose chase that had gotten them no results, no joy. Shizune wished that her master would tell her exactly what they were looking for, maybe then, maybe then she could help as well. The way things were now, Shizune has simply no clue what she should be looking for.

"Good Morning, Tsunade-chan." Came a voice from ahead, causing both Tsunade and her apprentice to jump backwards.

Shizune didn't know the voice, but once she saw the man, she knew exactly who it was. Long hair, pale skin, that evil smile, could only belong to one man in the world who Tsunade knew.

"Orochimaru!" growled Tsunade as she glared at her former team mate and fellow Sannin. "What brings you here?"

Shizune could feel the anger and the hatred in her mentor's voice. She knew that Tsunade was only barely holding herself back from assaulting Orochimaru, how long her mentor would be able to do that Shizune did not know.

"Now, now, Tsunade-chan. Can't an old team mate come and check up on you?" said the Snake Sannin as he stepped out into the light, followed by another man, this one with light hair and spectacles. It was then that Shizune noticed the odd coloring of Orochimaru's arms. They seemed dead, lifeless, a different color from the paleness of the rest of his body.

"If it were Jiraiya I'd believe that." She hissed back, her guard up, muscles tensed ready to defend herself if need be.

Orochimaru laughed, one of the most eerie and evil laughs that Shizune had ever heard. Even in broad daylight, the man sent shivers down her spine, her brain constantly urging her to turn and run away. This man was no pushover. It was apparent from the aura of danger that the man emitted, the evil glint in his eyes that promised anyone to step in his way countless hours of various torture. If this was what it was like to face the Snake Sannin in daylight, Shizune feared what it would be like to face him in the dark where only his eyes would be visible.

A movement from the Sannin's companion brought Shizune back into the real world. It was one simple step, but for a trained ninja, even the shortest distance closed could be the difference between life and death and Shizune knew that she could not afford to let her guard down anymore.

"We have need of your medical expertise, Tsunade-sama." Spoke the light haired man.

"My medical expertise? Your freakish experiments not enough?" spat back Tsunade.

This time it was Orochimaru's turn to chuckle.

"You see, Tsunade-chan. I recently launched an attack on our home village and barely escaped with my life. Our sensei sealed my arms with the Shiki Fuuin and I need them back."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. She had no love for her home village. She had nothing there, the main reason for her leaving the village. Yet, it was still her home and for Orochimaru to come in declaring such an attack so openly, there definitely was something up his sleeve.

"Heal your arms so you can go back and crush the Leaf? I have no love for them, but I don't have any for you either, what makes you think I will heal them for you?" She asked, her voice strong but her mind wandering.

"Because I can bring your loved ones back."

Tsunade's eyes immediately widened. The words, even though few, had made an instant impression. Where there was tension, there was now silence, shock. Shizune knew that Orochimaru had laid out the perfect deal for her mentor.

Orochimary chuckled again. He had expected Tsunade to be shocked to some extent, but he had not expected her to freeze up like she just had. He smiled, one corner of his lips curving into his trademark victory smirk.

"Take your time." Said the man as he turned away from the medic nin duo. "I shall be back for my answer in a week."

It wasn't until the two men disappeared that Shizune released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

X—X—X—X—X

Night had fallen, the sun setting to allow the pale moon to rise in to the sky, shedding little to no light inside the bar Shizune and Tsunade currently occupied, both of them so lost in their thoughts of earlier events that neither of them registered the arrival of the three Konoha ninja.

"Tsunade." Spoke Jiraiya, soft enough not to startle her.

There was a deep sigh from Tsunade, as if she had been expecting it and as if her worst fear had come true.

"First Orochimaru, now you." Said the Slug Sannin, her gaze fixed on the cup of sake that sat in front of her. "What do you want?"

Orochimaru? Thought Jiraiya. What had Orochimaru come to her for?

"Can we sit down?" he asked, thinking of a way to approach her with his offer and she nodded, motioning him towards the sake bar

"Spit it out." She said as soon as the two of them were seated, the irritation in her voice as clear as the sun in daylight. Tsunade had had a tough day, and if her instincts were anything to go by, it was going to get tougher. She just wanted to get this over with.

Shizune was meanwhile sitting at the table that she and Tsunade had occupied a moment earlier, studying the two genin that had come along with Jiraiya. One boy and one girl, each of them surely below their teenage years and exhausted from the long trip they had taken. Both of them had the look of ninja in their eyes, that glint in them that told her they were aware of every single movement Shizune and her mentor were making. It even seemed as if the boy was keeping an eye on the rest of the people around.

Tsunade looked towards Jiraiya and noticing his hesitancy, decided to speak up to break the ice.

"Sensei is dead?" she asked and Jiraiya's eyes widened for a second.

"Yes." He said, his head bowing a little in sadness, along with the two genin's. "Orochimaru bragged to you about it." He added, stating the fact as if it were obvious.

"Said something about Sensei sealing his two arms with the Shiki Fuuin." Said Tsunade, nudging on the topic.

"It's true." Said Jiraiya finally. "Orochimaru resurrected the Shodaime and the Nidaime. Sensei had no choice. He exchanged his life for Orochimaru's ability to use jutsu."

"He came to me earlier today and asked me to heal his arms."

"Are you going to do it?" asked Jiraiya.

"He offered me both Dan and Nawaki back."

Tsunade bowed her head as if in thought and Jiraiya knew that he could not say anything.

"We came here to ask you to be Hokage." Said Jiraiya

Tsunade's head snapped upwards. Come back to the village, she had expected. Help us train more shinobi, she had expected. Help us train medic nin, she had expected. But this, this was the one thing that she had never expected him to ask her.

"Why me?" asked Tsunade, this time the question firm yet slightly pleading. "Why can't you do it?"

"I can't afford to be stuck in the village, Tsunade. Not with what is stirring. Without me in the field, we will lose all advantage we have. You are the only one who is strong enough to stand against Orochimaru."

"I won't do it."

"I know you have no love for the village Tsunade. But we all owe Minato and that boy right there is his son. I cannot stay cooped up in the village and not be able to protect him."

"So that's him." Said Tsunade, taking a glance at the boy. "Looks like his father."

Tsunade watched the boy as he locked eyes with her, a mixture of sorrow and confusion going through his head.

"He can read lips." Stated Jiraiya as a matter of fact. "He knows too."

"Who's the girl?" she asked, turning around to face her team mate.

"His girlfriend." Said Jiraiya with a smirk.

"That's why you brought her?"

"No. They are part of the only two man squad sensei ever allowed. And I thought you might be interested in her skill set."

"A two man squad?" she scoffed, turning around so that the genin duo could read her lips. "They look like they can be taken out pretty easily."

Tsunade saw both Naruto and Sakura smile at her, a smile that told her exactly what she had wanted in the first place, a smile that told her to try them if she could and that was exactly what Senju Tsunade would do.

Jiraiya couldn't help but groan as he watched the two genin walk outside, Naruto leading the way while Sakura followed, Tsunade not far behind

Tsunade's ploy to end the conversation had worked. Now, it was all up to the genin to make an impression on her.

X—X—X—X—X

By the time Shizune followed Jiraiya out of the bar, the three ninja were already squaring off.

"I hear that you two are the first two man squad Konoha has ever allowed." Said Tsunade. "Either my sensei thought you two incredibly powerful or he thought you incredibly weak to let you be a squad on your own."

Shizune watched as the two genin just grinned back, the blond boy giving Tsunade a foxy one while the girl just smiled a smile Shizune had seen Tsunade give many a time, a smile that promised lots of pain.

"Are you going to throw words at us or are you going to find out, old lady?" asked the blond boy.

Though Shizune could not quite put her finger on it, the boy seemed vaguely familiar, as if she had seen him before.

"I'll tell you what. If the two of you manage to land a blow on me, then I agree to your offer and I will go back to Konoha as your Hokage. How about that?"

Naruto grinned even wider.

"Now where's the fun in that?" he said. "If the both of us attack you, we'd land that in no time."

"Let me do this, Naruto-kun." Said Sakura as she stepped forward, cracking her knuckles. "I want to see how good a medic nin really can be."

Shizune watched as Tsunade chuckled, lifting one finger up towards the genin.

"Don't be so cocky. All I will need against you is one…"

Tsunade was cut short as the pink haired girl in front of her vanished, appearing just above her head, her fist cocked back. The blond Sannin barely managed to raise her arm to block the blow as it sped towards her nose, the touch of the genin's fist vanishing as quickly as it hit.

The next attack came from her right hand side, a kick with enough venom to make Shizune cringe, slamming into Tsunade's other arm. The third kick came from down low, Sakura sliding on the ground, her leg uplifted to slam into Tsunade's stomach. The blow was sure to land until Tsunade leapt backwards, the years of training making her reactions much faster than Sakura's.

It was then that Shizune realized that the blond boy was nowhere near where he had been before. In fact, the blond boy was directly behind Tsunade, patting the Sannin on the back before shunshining out of the way to stand next to his team mate.

"Told you it would be easy if I joined in." Said Naruto as he slid his hands back in his pockets.

Tsunade looked at the two genin before glaring at Jiraiya who shrugged.

"Who's your sensei?" asked the Slug Sannin finally.

"Hatake Kakashi." Replied Sakura nonchalantly and Shizune's jaw nearly dropped.

Now it made sense how strong the two were. With a sensei such as Kakashi, one who was considered a genius amongst the Konoha nin, it was no wonder that the two genin were allowed to be a two man squad. Yet, somewhere in her mind, a voice told her that not even Kakashi would be able to bring out talent that a ninja did not have. If so, to whom did she have to attribute such a strong pair of young Konoha nin?

"I've seen enough for one night." Said Tsunade as she motioned to Shizune. "We're leaving."

"Tsunade." Said Jiraiya as the two elder female nin walked up to him.

"Just thought you should know. The girl has the basics of a medic nin."

Tsunade snorted.

"There are books that can teach her how to be one." She said before she took a step past him.

"True. But she may also be able to use Mokuton." Said Jiraiya, his eyes looking at her face.

For the second time in one day, Senju Tsunade literally froze in her tracks.

Mokuton, her great grandfathers prized bloodline limit, lost to further generations. Mokuton, the dream bloodline limit for any medic nin, to be able to use proper nature chakra to heal. Mokuton, the ability that would allow them to grow any herb needed for any cure at any given time.

"The three of us will be staying here till you give us an answer. Think about it." Said Jiraiya, as he walked off towards the genin in his care.

Tsunade stood there for a moment after the trio had vanished before resuming her trek towards the inn they were staying at, Shizune following close behind. If it was one thing Shizune knew, it was that the day had been very tough on her mentor with all the proposals and the offers that had come to her. All she could wish for now was that her mentor made the correct choice.

X—X—X—X—X

Alright! Another chapter done!

Like always..

REVIEW!


	28. Chapter 28: Decisions and Preparations

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 27 : Decisions and Preparations

Senju Tsunade woke early the next day, her head aching so bad that she knew the previous day had not just been a really bad nightmare. To be exact, Tsunade had woken up around 4 am, her head throbbing like mad only to find Shizune fast asleep on the bed next to her. Tsunade groaned as she picked herself up off of her bed, groggily walking to the shower her mind set on finding a solution for the headache. Worst of all, she realized, was the fact that she had not managed to get drunk at all the previous night.

Tsunade groaned again as she took a cold shower, taking her time to soak away all her worries. The previous day, ever since she had woken up that day till the moment she had fell asleep, had been a day filled with events.

Beginning from Orochimaru's appearance, the deal he had put forward, his arms for both Dan and Nawaki, BOTH of them, not just one to the appearance of Jiraiya, her other team mate. Jiraiya, on the other hand had only offered her something, the position of Hokage, leader of Konoha's ninja forces, the position which was the most powerful under the daimyo of Fire Country.

If it were possible, Tsunade would have taken Orochimaru's offer, healed his arms, gotten her loved ones back and then taken Jiraiya's offer and gone back to Konoha. But, it was the farthest thing to happening. If she healed Orochimaru, then he would go back and destroy Konoha and as long as he held power over her loved ones, she would not be able to do a single thing.

Tsunade had made it clear to Jiraiya that she had no love left for her birth village, and she was sure of it herself. As such, she knew that logically it should be very easy for her to take Orochimaru's offer, get her beloved ones and flee far away. Yet, something, something she could not put her finger on, made her hesitant, something that bothered her to no extent.

It was during this train of thought that Tsunade found herself wandering outside of Tanzaku Gai, aimless and directionless in the dawn. Tsunade had no clue how the time had passed, but she knew that it was almost morning, and that if she didn't get to the inn in time that Shizune would be worried. It was this thought that made Tsunade track back towards the city and on her way stumble upon the daily morning routine of the two Konoha genin that she had met the previous night.

Tsunade was ashamed to admit that as lost as she was in her thoughts, she would not have noticed the genin's presence unless she had heard a yell of "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

The yell, along with the classic poof sound that it made when used, alerted Tsunade to the presence of ninja in the vicinity. Senju Tsunade jumped up on to a rock out of instinct, just in time to avoid a body crashing into the ground where she had just stood. The cloud of dust, though it obscured her view of the body, did nothing to hide the poof the jutsu made when it was dispelled, telling Tsunade that whatever had crashed into the ground was a clone. It allowed the Sannin to let down her guard a little and turn around to lay eyes on the battle raging in front of her.

What Tsunade saw in front of her was something she had little expected to see from a pair of genin. What she saw was the two of the fervently attack Jiraiya, no holds barred, using anything and everything they could to land a few hits on Jiraiya.

"They are all Kage Bunshin." Came a voice from her left and Tsunade turned around to see Shizune perched upon another rock not too far away.

It was not until Shizune spoke again that Tsunade realized that her assistant was actually awed by the display she was seeing.

"Can you imagine that, Tsunade-sama? Each of those two genin have a Kage Bunshin out there, fighting a Sannin."

Tsunade returned her eyes to the fight going on in front of them, her eyes finally catching another pair of the same two genin sitting a bit further away seeming deeply lost in something. It was only then that Tsunade really believed what Shizune had just said. However, one thing still bothered her. Surely both Kagebunshin were the boy's?

There was a yell of "Doton: Doryuudan!" from the girl as a dragon of earth erupted from the ground before speeding towards Jiraiya.

In an instant the boy was behind that very earth dragon, flashing through seals himself as he yelled out the name of a jutsu

"Fuuton: Reppuushou!" came the call, a gust of wind increasing the speed of the dragon speeding towards Jiraiya.

The Sannin was about to form his own jutsu when the pink haired girl appeared behind him, a scroll unfurled before her. Tsunade had not seen the girl form her hand seals, but assumed she had done it while everyone's attention was fixed on her partner once she called out the name of the jutsu.

"Suiton! Souirou no Jutsu!"

Tsunade's mouth actually opened as a torrent of water came out from the scroll, encasing her team mate in it.

"It's over, Jiraiya-sama." Spoke the calm voice of the young genin, the rock dragon still heading for them.

Jiraiya smirked once, a smirk Tsunade knew all too well, a smirk that meant that Jiraiya indeed had something up his sleeve as well. The Sannin forced his hands quickly together, flashing through a quick sequence of seals before vanishing from the water prison.

Sakura's eyes widened, immediately leaping upwards as the water fell to the ground just in time to avoid a hand that thrust upwards from underground.

"You know of the Shinjuu Zanshu?" came Jiraiya's voice as he broke through the ground.

Both genin nodded.

"Kakashi-sensei uses it a lot." Spoke Naruto.

"Alright. That's enough Bunshin training for today. Let's go have some lunch."

The two genin nodded before puffing away in bursts of smoke, the original two, walking over from the cropping of rock that they had sat in.

"That was impressive." Said Shizune towards the female genin as the duo neared them.

"Thank you." Was all Shizune got in return for her compliment.

"They don't like to brag." Came Jiraiya's voice as the Sannin started to walk, Tsunade and the two genin immediately following behind.

Tsunade fell in next to the genin as Shizune stepped up next to her.

"Aren't you going to hold me to last night's bet?" asked the Slug Sannin.

The boy shrugged.

"No." he said. "You underestimated us. If I did hold you to it and took you back, you would resent the position as well as the citizens of Konoha."

Sakura spoke up soon after.

"What he means is that we would rather let you decide what you want. We would only accept your decision if you took the position out of wanting to help the village and for no other reason."

Shizune smiled and attempted a change of topic.

"Ne, Sakura-chan. How did you do that water jutsu?"

Sakura beamed at Shizune's question.

"It's quite simple once you think of it. Naruto-kun made a waterproof seal for me that he placed at the bottom of Konoha's river. So now, whenever I want, I can just simply roll out this scroll and summon the necessary amount of water."

"A seal huh?" came Jiraiya's voice. "I assume that it only works with elements like water?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes, it only works if it has constant contact with the element or object it wishes to summon. I only managed to make something that works for water. Earth is just too heavy to pull through."

Jiraiya nodded. Earth would simply be too heavy and dense to pull through a seal unless the user had enough chakra to do it and by Jiraiya's estimates, it would only be possible for a Jinchuuriki to perform that particular task.

"Any progress on the Rasengan?" asked Jiraiya, continuing on with the topic of training.

Naruto shook his head, telling Jiraiya that they had made no progress and the group went silent. It was not until they reached the sushi bar and ordered their food that the group began conversing again, this time about idle chatter. Time flew by the five Konoha nin, so fast and so enjoyable that they did not notice a pair of eyes watching them from the roof tops.

X—X—X—X—X

"Orochimaru-sama." Came Kabuto's voice as the Snake Sannins assistant entered the room in which Orochimaru sat.

The Sannin did not answer, instead flicked one of his eyes towards his assistant, waiting for an answer.

"We have an issue." Said Kabuto, hesitant, not knowing where to start.

"Jiraiya." Spoke the snake Sannin knowingly and Kabuto nodded.

"The toad Sannin is of no concern to us, a simple tactic will work against him." Said Orochimaru as he stood up, his arms still hanging limply by his side.

"The brat that beat the Shukaku and his team mate are also here." Said Kabuto, the nervousness making his voice waver.

The room temperature dropped a few degrees as Orochimaru's ki grew stronger. The news of Konoha reinforcements were not good, specially those that could give Kabuto a challenge. It would make Orochimaru's job only harder, if Tsunade chose not to accept his offer.

"What do they want with Tsunade?" asked Orochimaru, curious as to why Jiraiya had brought a team of genin along.

"They've offered Tsunade the position of Hokage." Said Kabuto, an evil smile pulling at his lips.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. There was no way Tsunade would accept the position. After Dan and Nawaki had died, Tsunade was the very first to leave the village, leaving its people without the aid of their greatest medic nin. Yet, it would not do him well to be careless.

"Bring the Sound Four here and increase Sasuke-kun's training regime. Keep an eye on Tsunade, it would not do us good to be unprepared."

X—X—X—X—X

"Jiraiya, do you know if they ever had a third member?" asked Tsunade as they walked back to the inn where Tsunade stayed.

The Toad Sannin shook his head. "No, they've been the only ones to be in that squad. Why?"

"Orochimaru had a genin along with him. One that he kept in the shadows."

"What makes you think he is from Konoha?" asked Jiraiya, his attention on the road in front of them.

"Felt like an Uchiha's chakra." Said Tsunade.

"Uchiha Sasuke." Came Sakura's voice as she jumped down and fell in to place next to Jiraiya. "He was a Konoha genin that was taken during the invasion. He defected along with the ROOT nin."

"How do you know so much about him?" asked Tsunade, curious.

"He was the third genin who Kakashi tested. He simply did not pass." Said the pink haired girl, a soft shrug later.

"And you two did?"

"I guess Kakashi-sensei saw potential in me and Naruto-kun." Was the only reply the Sannin got, and it effectively closed the topic.

"Where's Naruto-kun?" asked Shizune, curious as to why the pink haired girl was there alone now that the Sannin's topic had fizzled out.

"He's out training. Says he wants to work more on the Rasengan."

"Why didn't you go with him?"

"I have some questions about being a medic –nin." Said Sakura, the attention of both women on her once again.

X—X—X—X—X

By the time Uzumaki Naruto reached his room in the inn, it was already nearing midnight. The genin was sore all over, his palm badly burned by the volatile chakra he had manipulated till then. He could barely walk a step without pain shooting throughout his body causing him to wince. He knew he would have collapsed due to chakra exhaustion had he pushed himself a little further.

Naruto walked in to his room to find Sakura awake on her bed waiting for him.

"I thought you would have slept by now." Said the blond genin as he fell down onto his bed, not even bothering to attempt to change his clothes.

"Knowing you probably will drive yourself close to chakra exhaustion doesn't exactly help me to sleep Naru-kun."

Naruto hmm'ed quietly, wondering how Sakura managed to predict every single thing he would and would not do.

"How did your talk with Tsunade go?" asked Naruto, attempting to change the topic.

"Tsunade-sama." Corrected Sakura and Naruto simply scoffed.

"Only when she accepts the position." Said the boy his eyebrows furrowing at the way Tsunade had spoken about the topic a few hours earlier.

"Do you think she will take it?" asked Sakura.

"I don't know." said the blond boy. "Ero-sennin thinks it is up to us to make a good enough impression on her so that she will."

"Why does he think that?"

"I don't know. I guess he thinks that the impression we give Tsunade will be an impression she will have of our batch."

The few seconds that passed after that was spent in silence before Sakura spoke, finally answering his question about her talk with the Medic genius of Konoha.

"It went okay, she wasn't so willing to give me as much information as she was keen on getting from me." Said Sakura, allowing her boyfriend to shift the focus of the conversation to her. "I told her about Hisemi."

"What did she say?" he asked, turning his head towards her so that he could see.

"She didn't say anything. She would have to see him first hand to see if she could even try."

The two of them stopped talking for a few minutes. Naruto being the one to break the silence this time.

"I want you to come with me for a few days."

"Where?" asked Sakura, curious as to why he was asking her to simply vanish.

"Training."

Sakura gave her boyfriend a puzzled look. "Why can't we train here?" she asked.

"Because we need a lot of trees to try what I want to try." He said.

Sakura thought about it for a moment. It was Naruto, someone she would trust with her very life, so going with him was not an issue, neither was the place. Yet they only had a couple of days before Orochimaru would come looking for an answer. Depending on the answer she gave, Tsunade would need all the help she could get.

The pink haired genin turned to her team mate to ask if they were going to tell Jiraiya only to find the boy fast asleep. Walking over to the boy to give him a soft kiss, the girl wasted no time before getting into her own bed and falling asleep as well.

The two woke up early the following morning, writing a small note to Jiraiya before leaving out the window. Time was of the essence to the genin, and if Naruto's plan was to work, then they would need all the time they could get.

X—X—X—X—X

Senju Tsunade and her assistant walked through the streets of Tanzaku Gai, late in the afternoon, looking for any signs of the Konoha nin when they stumbled across Jiraiya sitting in a bar. The two female nin walked over and sat next to him before Tsunade asked where the two genin were.

"Only Kami knows where they left to." Said Jiraiya. "All I got was a note saying they had gone off training. Some cunning plan Minato's brat thought up it seems."

The response caught both women off guard since neither of them had expected the kids to pull off such a stunt. It was not until Jiraiya spoke again that they both turned their attention to another topic.

"They'll be fine. They held off Itachi long enough for me to arrive. I'm sure they can do a lot more if they wanted to." Said Jiraiya, taking away all the worries that Shizune and even though she wouldn't admit so easily, Tsunade, also had.

"How bad was Konoha hit?" asked Shizune, parts of last night's conversation with Sakura popping into her head.

"We lost about a quarter and some more." Said Jiraiya. "ROOT less than a quarter of our forces. They managed to take out a few before we managed to get the Hyuuga to differentiate ROOT and loyalists."

"Danzo?" asked Tsunade. Truth be told, Tsunade had never been fond of Danzo. The old war hawk had never been happy with the Nidaime's choice of the third and had always opposed the Sandaime at each and every turn.

"Fled along with the ROOT that managed to survive." Said Jiraiya.

The slug Sannin sighed. Damn that Orochimaru for destroying the peace that had taken the Yondaime had work to establish.

"We would have suffered more losses had it not been for our lucky discovery of Orochimaru's presence."

There was a moment of silence as Jiraiya swallowed his last cup of Sake. The white haired Sannin stood up to leave, speaking his final words with his back turned towards them.

"Think about your decision Tsunade. Either way, there is no way Orochimaru will let the three of us go without a fight."

X—X—X—X—X

Haruno Sakura stood in a small clearing in the middle of a forest, Naruto standing next to her.

"Why are we here, Naruto?" she asked, as she looked around at all the kinds of trees and plants around her.

"I was thinking, since you have all the problems with getting Mokuton to work for you. I realized that all we have been trying to do is to get you to create trees and such out of scratch. Well, you won't be able to do that unless you understand the exact workings of a tree. And also you need to be able to manipulate them too. So, what better place to start than manipulating bits and pieces of trees and plants already there?"

Sakura was awestruck for a moment. She had never ever thought of that approach towards Mokuton ninjutsu. She also realized that Naruto's theory had a very good chance of working as well. It was the very basis of how her mother had taught her what little medical ninjutsu she knew.

The pink haired genin immediately kneeled down in the patch of grass she stood in, her hand glowing green. The very first step was to scan the subject, in this case a blade of grass, examine every detail of it, how the cells were combined. The next step, in the case of Mokuton, was to try and copy these cells inside the blade itself, cause it to grow. It would become the basis of the third and final step of her learning to manipulate growth, which was the actual maneuvering of these cells, allowing her to wrap, constrict and possibly even impale any enemies she might have close by.

Sakura now knew the amount of work she had in front of her and she also knew that it would require a much larger amount of time to completely master it.

The pink haired girl did not even notice Naruto's disappearance until a couple of hours later when she collapsed due to chakra exhaustion.

One of her last thoughts of the day was that she now exactly knew what Naruto felt every single time he fell down due to it. She also now knew how hard it was to stop training when you found something you really wanted to.

I have new found respect for you Naru-kun, she thought. You put up with fainting like this almost every other day.

X—X—X—X—X

Six of her seven given days had passed and Senju Tsunade was nowhere near her decision. Her deadline was coming close and she had no clue if Orochimaru would allow her any more time to think on it. She was downright sure that Orochimaru would settle to have her killed if she wouldn't heal him. After all, Jiraiya had told her about his immortality technique. He didn't really need her to heal him.

The thought of such a technique disgusted Tsunade to her depths, a technique that allowed the user immortality by using his soul to take over another's body. There was an obvious flaw in the technique, the fact that if the body were to die so would the user. It sort of made sense how he had taken the Uchiha. The Sharingan eyes, if it were to fall into Orochimaru's hands would mean that it would be harder for anyone to kill him. It would also provide Orochimaru the perfect body to transfer into.

However, the cool down period for the technique was something Orochimaru needed to improve. It was also why Tsunade assumed he wanted her to heal his arms. If she did, it would mean he would be able to take over Sasuke's body now and then train it to become as strong as he wanted it to be. If she didn't, then he would have to wait three years and Orochimaru knew that a lot could happen in three years.

Senju Tsunade sighed as she sat in the ramen bar, playing around with her noodles. It was time that she weighed the two options, Orochimaru's offer against Jiraiya's.

If she took Orochimaru's offer, it would gain her two people that she loved the most. Her younger brother, Nawaki and her lover, Dan. Yet she knew that his impure resurrection technique would allow him to control them as he willed. It would force her to be Orochimaru's pawn for ever.

It would also, with no doubt, bring about the destruction of Konoha. Jiraiya being the only one powerful enough to stop him at all. With both her and Orochimaru against him, not even Jiraiya stood a chance of winning.

Konoha. That was the center of both of these offers. One choice would destroy it while the other would save it. The fate of the village to which both Tsunade and Shizune had been born in, the village to which the two genin she had met recently belonged to and would give their lives for would be saved or destroyed all depending on her choice.

Tsunade recalled the conversation she had had with the blond boy before he and his team mate left to train. She had asked him why her decision mattered to him so much. His reply had been simple, and it had stuck with her for the days that had passed.

"My parents gave up their lives to seal the Kyuubi in me. They sacrificed their lives and mine to keep Konoha safe from the demon. I'm not going to disrespect them and run away."

Was that really what Dan and Nawaki had done for Konoha? Were their deaths their service to the village? Was she insulting their memory by not doing the same?

Tsunade sighed as she rubbed her forehead. Thinking so much wasn't her suit. Yet, she had to admit, taking Konoha's offer would give her the opportunity to continue doing what she had wanted to do and also started to do earlier. It would allow her to introduce more medic nin into the Konoha Ninja Corps as well as find out if there were more nin with Mokuton capabilities.

It just simply gave her more opportunities to enjoy what she liked to do while keeping her end of the bargain.

The slug Sannin stood up from her seat with a smile on her face. Not because she had made a decision, but because this decision felt right. Her grandfather had done the same thing, founded a village and took care of it through thick and thin. Her grand uncle had taken over from her grandfather after he had died, and literally done the same thing. Now, it was her turn, time for the third Senju to become Hokage.

Tomorrow, she decided. Tomorrow would be the day she would start acting like the Hokage. For now, she needed to find Jiraiya to tell him of her choice.

X—X—X—X—X

The trees rushed past Uchiha Sasuke' face as he and two of the Sound Four sped towards the point marked on the map. The conversation between him and Orochimaru filtered into his head.

"Sasuke-kun." The Sannin had said. "I trust you are feeling well enough?"

The Uchiha had just grunted in return, not feeling particularly chatty with the man that was said to have done countless un-nameable experiments on dying and captured nin.

"Kabuto-kun has told me that he spotted two genin in a forest near here. A boy with blond hair and a girl with pink hair."

Sasuke's attention snapped towards the Snake Sannin as he growled out. "Where are they?"

The Uchiha's only reply was a toss of a scroll which he unfurled only to see a map. Understanding that the point marked on it was exactly where Naruto and Sakura were, the black haired boy turned to leave but was stopped when spoken to again.

"Jiroubou and Sakon will go with you, just in case." Orochimaru had said.

Sasuke had not said a further word, instead walking out of the room with the two close ranged fighters of the Sound Four in tow. He had understood that it would have been difficult for him to take on two ninja at once, especially ones that had proven to be much stronger than him earlier. He understood the need for a team now, not even he had all the talents that would allow him to do everything. Yet, the memory of their survival test had been imprinted in his mind for the months that had followed. The humiliation he had suffered in front of the Konoha population was something he would never forgive team 7 for.

Barely able to suppress his anger at the two genin, Sasuke sped up towards the point where he would finally meet the two genin that had caused him all this trouble. Sakon and Jiroubou both smirked as they increased the pace to keep up with the Uchiha. They could smell Sasuke's bloodlust and they knew how bad Sasuke wanted to pay back the Konoha nin for what they had done.

X—X—X—X—X

Not far away from the trio of Sound Nin that were heading towards them, both Naruto and Sakura had just finished packing up their gear in their scrolls when the both of them felt the chakra signatures getting closer.

Haruno Sakura sighed as she mentally groaned at the prospect of another life or death fight, thankful that they had not done any training but had instead concentrated on recovering their chakra for the inevitable battle with Orochimaru.

"Looks like we have company." Said Naruto as he stood in the middle of the clearing, facing the direction from where the chakra signatures were coming from.

It had been a while since he had last been in a proper fight and he couldn't wait till he got himself into the mix.

X—X—X—X—X

:D yayyy! Another chapter done!

I know the ending is a bit rushed… but still… it had to be that way… :D

As always

Please

REVIEW!


	29. Chapter 29: Confrontations

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 29 : Confrontation

Uchiha Sasuke and his two companions burst into the clearing, Sasuke's demonic aura already fully covering him. Sasuke watched in glee as the two genin in the clearing whipped around at the sudden arrival, shock and surprise written all over their faces.

The reaction gave Sasuke all the opening he needed. It gave him the time for that one step before he shunshined in front of Sakura, his hand covered in electricity, his eyes burning with delight. Naruto reacted much faster than Sakura, attempting to divert Sasuke's blow away from his girlfriend, but was taken out of the equation as the mass of Jiroubou slammed in between Sakura and him, causing the blond to leap backwards instead.

Sasuke cackled with laughter at his triumph, the feeling of sweet revenge coursing through his veins as he plunged his hand into Sakura's chest with a yell. Nothing had ever sounded as sweet as Naruto's scream of anguish at his lover's death and in Sasuke's mind, it served the blond boy right.

X—X—X—X—X

Uzumaki Naruto, or rather Uzumaki Naruto's clone watched in relief as the person who he had thought to be his love vanished in the trademark puff of smoke that all Kagebunshin had when they were dispelled and watched with a sly grin as a hand pulled Sasuke under the ground. He had especially loved the moment that the glee on Sasuke's face was wiped out only to be replaced by a shattered look.

With a smile, the blond boy's clone reacted immediately, reaching up and smashing his fist hard into Jiroubou's family jewels, causing the large man to groan and go down on his knees.

As if on cue, a bunch of clones materialized near Sakon as well, assaulting him from various directions. The real Uzumaki Naruto smiled from his place within the trees. It was time to lay into these boys.

X—X—X—X—X

"Doton! Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu!" came the cry as a hand pulled Sasuke downwards violently.

Rising from under the earth, Haruno Sakura risked a glanced look at Sasuke's allies and saw them heavily beset by Naruto and his clones. Normally, Sakura would not be concerned about Naruto's welfare in a fight, considering the boy had never been in a fight that he had not won, but the silver haired ally of Sasuke's worried her slightly. There was something different about him, something that she felt would need a different method of handling and she needed to find out what it was.

Acting on instinct, Sakura found the time to create one Kagebunshin and sent it to find out what was so unique about this boy before her opponent broke out from underground. The Uchiha growled as he rose, looking around for any signs of the girl that had just buried him.

"Below." Said the pink haired girl before she implanted a foot into Sasuke's midriff, propelling him backwards, fast.

Sakura increased the speed of her attacks as her clone dispersed, giving her the needed information about Naruto's opponent. Her face set in determination, Sakura began to act out the plan. This was no time to play around with the Uchiha. Naruto would need her help soon.

X—X—X—X—X

Uzumaki Naruto frowned as he watched the standing member of the Sound trio that had attacked them defend himself against his stream of clones. For some odd reason, it seemed to Naruto if the man had two extra arms and legs, to be able to throw punches at so fast a rate that it made Lee seem slow.

The blond boy stood where he was and wracked his brain for a method to find out what Sakon's secret was. It was during this massacre of his brain cells that he saw one of his clones rush in and dodge one of the Mach Kicks before it retreated.

The boy smiled as the clone retreated towards him, the way it ran telling him that it was one of Sakura's clones rather than his own.

"I thought I saw a green glow on your hand." He said as it came closer. "What have you found out for me?"

"Looks like two people in one body to me. Chakra signatures have a very minute difference. Must be a bloodline." Said the clone with a smile.

"Must be twins," Said Naruto. "Alright, thanks. Dispel yourself, Sakura-chan can use all the chakra she can get. I've got some twin ass to kick."

The clone dispelling was the last sound Naruto's mind registered before it was fully occupied by the battle in front of him.

X—X—X—X—X

Uchiha Sasuke sped through the branches, his salvaged breath whooshing out as he slammed into a tree trunk. The Uchiha was barely given enough time to register the pain when Sakura's knee slammed into his gut, her hands neatly grabbing him by his hand and launching him into a nearby tree again, this time face first.

Sasuke's eyes widened as the tree came closer, the raven haired boy realizing that he could not raise his hands in order to prevent him from smashing his face on the tree. For the first time in a long while, Sasuke felt the need to thank Sakura as she caught him just before impact, swinging him about and slamming his back into the very same tree. Yet, not even this act gave him an opening to recover.

The following blows came in quick and brutal succession, the raven haired boy being slammed into trees so quick in succession that he was given no chance of recovering.

By the time he hit the 6th tree, some of Sasuke's limbs were numb, some of his ribs, he even considered broken. Barely able to catch his breath, Sasuke's eyes widened a bit as he was grabbed by the back of his shirt, the collar tightening around his neck as Sakura pulled on it with force. Sasuke felt the collar loosen as he was spun and hurled into a bush just underneath the last tree.

The newly initiated Sound genin smiled at the mistake his opponent had made. He knew that this gave him the perfect opportunity and immediately prepared to take advantage of the situation. Yet some form of a nagging thought remained in his head. It was very unlike Sakura to make such a mistake and Sasuke knew that he should not be underestimating her. She might have something else planned and he had to be ready for it.

The moment he landed in the bush, Uchiha Sasuke heaved his body, trying to get an awkward bounce and jump away from whatever devious plan his former colleague had. However, Sasuke's reaction was not as fast as he would have liked it, for the moment he made contact with the bush, the brambles moved to bind him to it, spreading outwards and then over him as the brambles took hold of his clothing.

The boy struggled against the bush for a moment, before deciding to resort to chakra to break loose of the bind. It was then that the number of falling leaves came to his attention as well as the symbols painted onto them.

Hurried to break out before the seals landed on to him Uchiha Sasuke channeled more chakra into his limbs, only to feel the strength it gave fade away just as easily. It was only then that Sasuke realized that his chakra was being sucked out from him, the rate increasing the more he tried to use it.

Sasuke cursed inwardly as he realized that the whole battle with him had been set up from the beginning. What he hated most was not that the fact that the duo from Konoha knew they were coming, but the fact that they were able to execute the plan perfectly without him knowing it at all.

Giving up the struggle against a well thought out constraint, Uchiha Sasuke looked around to realize that Sakura had already disappeared, no doubt to help her team mate against the two other Sound Ninja. Even he realized that the odds had been evened out.

Now it would all depend on who was stronger and smarter.

X—X—X—X—X

Uzumaki Naruto watched as his clones were destroyed one by one and sometimes as many as a few at the same time. He had been at it for the better part of the last few minutes and his opponent showed no signs of tiring or wearing down. Sakon had not even shown him any jutsu nor any inkling of what kind of hidden tricks he had up his sleeve. Worst, his partner was slowly recovering from the blow to his family jewels and Naruto knew that things would get harder if he had to face both of them.

The arrival of Sakura's chakra signature changed Naruto's whole approach to the fight, the boy rushing forwards to join his clones in the assault on the Sound Nin. Now that the odds were even, Naruto knew that he could stop playing defensive and lift things up a notch.

X—X—X—X—X

Sakon of the Sound and his twin brother Ukon readied themselves as more clones sped towards them, their minds clear and calm. Though they had been hard pressed at first to push back the never ending waves of shadow clones that were thrown at them, the twins had now gotten a measure of the clones speed and strength and knew when to time their punches and what to avoid.

However, both brothers also felt a pang of guilt at their complacency when one clone managed to sneak past their guard and land a blow on Sakon's side. Though it was a glancing blow, it made enough room for the blond Konoha nin to take advantage of it.

Punches and kicks rained in as both Sakon and his brother fought hard to keep any from landing, yet somehow the clones were now faster and stronger than they were before.

A mistimed punch allowed a clone to slip past again, this time ramming his fist into Sakon's chin. The silver haired Sound nin staggered back slightly, and watched through one half open eye as Naruto rushed in to press his advantage.

Sakon would never admit he was glad that Jiroubou intervened when he did, appearing between Sakon and Naruto's clones, giving the Sound nin some valuable time to recover, even though it was cut a little short by the pink haired girl returning to the fight, landing a solid foot in Jiroubou's face.

The four ninja stood in the clearing, Naruto and Sakura close to each other while Jiroubou and Sakon stood in front of them.

If she had been able to beat Sasuke and incapacitate him so quickly, Sakon was sure she had to be strong.

One thought ran through both Sakon's and Jiroubou's head as they stared down at the Konoha duo.

With the next few steps, this fight would take on a whole new meaning.

X—X—X—X—X

Strangely enough for a stand-off, this particular one had no words spoken between the two parties, each of them had eyes locked with their targets, though in one of the Sound Nin's opinion, it wasn't who they wanted to fight.

Jiroubou stared at the blond boy in front of him. It was obvious that he was the big Sound Nins opponent and not the pink haired girl and that was a slight disappointment. Jiroubou licked his lip and tasted the blood that swelled from a cut on the inside of his upper lip. The kick from the petite pink haired girl had been strong enough to make him bleed and now he was interested in how she managed to gather that strength into her rather muscle less limbs in order to deliver them.

Yet, even he knew that there was no time to ponder upon these things. Once the going got started, neither of the four ninja standing in the clearing would have any other thoughts but ones directed towards killing their current opponents. There was only one thing a ninja could do at this point. And that was to keep an eye on your opponent for any move that he or she might make.

The two Konoha nin vanished in an instant. Jiroubou, stunned by the speed the two showed, couldn't react as fast as he would have liked to, allowing Naruto to close the gap in an instant.

A punch landed in Jiroubou's gut simultaneously as Sakon got a boot in the face.

And then all hell broke loose.

X—X—X—X—X

In one of Orochimaru's hideouts, Yakushi Kabuto ran into the Snake's chamber, pulling himself to a halt at the door.

Kabuto in his time spent serving the Snake Sannin had never received such a summons like he had today. Normally where Orochimaru would have sent a Sound nin to get him, today, the Sannin had called for him from the top of his voice and Kabuto had found it prudent to attend to it as soon as possible.

"You called for me Orochimaru-sama?" he asked as he looked upon Orochimaru's face

For once in a lifetime, Kabuto thought he saw some worry upon the snake's face. Some sort of emotion apart from the anger and the sadistic smiles he displayed otherwise. In one sense, it was calming to know that even the Snake Sannin was human, while in the other, it worried Kabuto a little too.

"Sasuke's curse seal is fading." Said the Snake and Kabuto's eyes widened.

It had been one of Orochimaru's latest improvements to his curse seal, at least the particular one he gave to Sasuke, that he be able to sense it at all times and it was apparent that this improvement had come in handy.

There were only two reasons that a curse seal would fade. One was with distance, the distance weakening the chakra sensing mechanism Orochimaru had placed in his own control seal. The second was if the person with the seal was running out of chakra.

The Uchiha was well within sensing distance, Kabuto knew that. That meant the only reason for the seal to fade would be that Sasuke was running out of chakra. Sasuke had gone into battle, against Konoha nin no less. If Sasuke had won, the curse seal wouldn't fade. Surely Orochimaru wouldn't have summoned him to give him this particular piece of information if the chakra was being used up as in a normal fight. No, this summons had to mean that Sasuke's chakra levels were very low, and in a fight against Konoha, that could very well mean Sasuke was dying.

Yakushi Kabuto didn't linger in the room any further, running out of the room yelling for Tayuya and Kidoumaru.

He needed to send reinforcements, and hope to Kami that they were able to reach Sasuke in time.

X—X—X—X—X

Jiroubou of the Sound had been caught off guard with the first blow, the speed of the Konoha brat surprising him but not for long. Naruto was fast, Jiroubou had to give the blond boy that, but he wasn't the fastest that Jiroubou had fought, and his current speeds were not going to make this tougher for the biggest man in the Sound Five.

The next attack came low, aimed towards the back of his knee, and caused Jiroubou to smile. The big man jumped, just high enough to avoid the blow and enough to turn the momentum against the boy. The big man cocked his arm, letting loose at the blonde boy was just under him as he descended from his jump.

The punch caused a large cloud of dust to rise as it hit the spot Naruto had been previously, the cloud large enough to obscure Jiroubou's view from all sides. The dust clouds stirred as shapes flew in towards Jiroubou, the big man already making his countering move.

"Doton!" the man yelled. "Myoujou!" (Earth Element: Morning Star) taking hold of a clump of earth before swinging it around in an arc.

Uzumaki Naruto watched as the earth ripped along the arc, a chain like formation of earth coming up in his opponent's hand, ending in a spiked ball which mercilessly ripped through his army of clones inside the cloud of dust.

Uzumaki Naruto considered himself lucky that he had not charged in himself or he was sure he would have ended up with a spikes a few inches deep in him and his spirit soaring to join his father prematurely.

Jiroubou whipped his arm around again, this time with an added downward motion, bringing the spiked ball down and hard into the ground. Another cloud of dust rose from the impact crater the ball made, his weapon obviously missing the blond boy, yet Jiroubou followed every swing with yet one more swing, not pausing even for a second.

Though a slow method, the constant swinging of the spiked ball ensured that Naruto kept his distance from the big man, too little known by the blond boy to come up with an immediate plan to counter it. Jiroubou smiled outwardly.

The momentum of the battle had changed and it was time that Konoha lost a few ninja.

X—X—X—X—X

Just before Naruto had performed his shunshin, Haruno Sakura had leapt into the air, slightly disappearing from vision before appearing in mid air. Sakura knew that Sakon would be able to follow her leap, and the Konoha ninja took the time to slowly begin to withdraw her chakra from her weight seals.

Sakura wasted no time from the moment she initiated the slow release of chakra from her weight seals, shunshining from her mid air spot, reappearing at Sakon's side before planting a foot in the white haired boys face. Sakon was surprised at the girl's speed, but was taken aback more at the chakra laced into the kick. He had expected an attack, but he had not expected to be sent flying by a single forceful kick.

Sakura rushed at Sakon, knowing fully well that the tactic she had used on Sasuke would not work for long especially against two people inhabiting one body. For all she knew, they could separate at will and that would totally disperse any momentum she had gained.

But in truth, she had no thoughts of using the same tactic. She only needed to buy some time for her to be able to pull all of the chakra out of her seals. And she also needed Sakon and his brother not to be aware of it.

Haruno Sakura smiled inwardly as her chakra laced jumps and shunshins slowly became normal jumps and bursts of speed. The little chakra that she pulled out from her seal was used to lace her punches and kicks, so as to keep the two brothers less attentive to her plan.

It would soon be time to put her final plan into motion, she realized, but in order for that to happen she would require one more move from Sakon.

With the end game in mind, the pink haired member of the only two member genin squad from Konoha kept up the assault on the Sound nin.

X—X—X—X—X

Uzumaki Naruto, on the other hand, had no particular plan to deal with his opponent. His first thought on a method had been to keep pummeling at the guy till he gave in, but it was quite apparent to the blond boy that the plan wouldn't work.

Jiroubou was a wall of solid muscle. Naruto's Kagebunshin's countless consecutive attacks had proven to be of no use, neither had his normal non-chakra enhanced blows. Even the enhanced ones had only been able to budge the mountain of a man so much.

For the moment though, Naruto had to find a way to deal with the big man's weapon. With it, the sound nin was more of a nuisance than he had before. With it, Jiroubou had simply turned the whole direction of the fight.

It was an earth jutsu. That meant that the earth that was being controlled by an amount of chakra gathered and held in the soil. It was not the soil that Jiroubou was holding, but rather his own chakra that was laced within it. Just making sure that Jiroubou lost contact with it wouldn't do the trick, no. Naruto would simply have to destroy it.

That is, if he managed to get close enough to it without getting hit.

X—X—X—X—X

Jiroubou was no idiot. Though a lot of his own village mates thought he was a stupid oaf due to the offensive brawler style he used to fight, he was no idiot. He knew that the blond boy was planning something. The big man knew that by the faraway look in Naruto's eyes as well as the fact that this thinking period would be the time that he would get the chance to finally finish this battle.

It was this thinking that allowed the big man to see the lapse of concentration on the boy's side and the sound nin did not waste any time in taking advantage of it. With a swing of his arm, he guided the spiked ball straight at the blond boy with blinding speeds. It was a sure kill this time.

Then, out of nowhere, a clone appeared, slamming into to the blond boy, knocking the real person out of the ball's path while the clone took the hit. Jiroubou frowned. He had been sure he had taken out all the clones the boy had produced. If so, where had this one come from?

There was a release of chakra followed by a gust of wind and Jiroubou realized that his opponent was no longer where he fell but right next to him, a chakra laced punch landing on his stomach.

The big man coughed blood as he flew a few meters, taking into account the sudden increase in speed and power that the boy had received.

How had the boy changed so much? Surely it was no curse seal, there were no markings upon the boy. Did that mean that the boy had this strength and speed from the beginning as well?

If so, why hadn't he used it before? What had made him take this fight so seriously?

"Weight seals." Came a voice as a kick sped at the big man's head, the sound nin barely able to roll under it.

Jiroubou didn't see but rather felt the amount of chakra the boy expelled with that kick and filled in the rest of the equation.

Jiroubou couldn't help but admire his opponent. The boy was now as powerful as the first stage of his curse seal, and he had achieved it without using any of Orochimaru's vile chakra but rather his own chakra.

Jiroubou mentally shook his head as he released the power of his curse seal. There was little time to be admiring others. Sasuke was somewhere in the forest, possibly dying, and Orochimaru would be very angry if he lost his prized Uchiha. That meant that in order for him to survive, Jiroubou had to find him and to find him, he needed to get past this boy.

X—X—X—X—X

A bit further away, Sakon and Ukon felt the chakra release of Jiroubou's curse seal and Sakon smiled at Sakura as she attacked.

"Looks like my partner just got serious." Said the sound ninja. "Better be ready to say bye-bye to your friend."

"No." replied Sakura as another of her punches were blocked by the duo inhabiting the same body. "It is your partner that has lost the battle."

"Let's see about that!" screamed Ukon as he left his brother's body and charged Sakura in an attempt to put her on the defensive. Two against one would make things easier for them, Sakon realized.

During the next five minutes that followed, the two brothers and Sakura exchanged multiple strikes, each being blocked by the other before being countered. However, Sakon's concentration and his thoughts were elsewhere.

There was something different about the girl. Something that had not been a few moments ago.

Sakon watched as Sakura easily blocked one of Ukon's strikes, a strike that she had had trouble blocking just a few seconds ago. Their strikes, though within a second of each other, were being now evaded and blocked.

Then it clicked. Sakura's movements were different. Not as labored as they had been earlier, but now much calmer and much smoother. As if a huge load had been taken off of her and allowed her to move her body as she was used to be doing.

If there was a fault in their bloodline limit, it was the fact that even though they shared bodies, they didn't share the same mind. If they had, Ukon would have realized what Sakon had at the very same time. No, Sakon would have to say it out loud in order for Ukon to know what he was thinking.

Worst come to worst, they could always use the curse seal much like Jiroubou was doing.

Sakon was just about to say it out loud when Jiroubou's cursed chakra vanished like air being sucked into a vacuum.

Sakon froze in his track, a thought going through his mind that he was quite sure had occurred to his brother as well.

First, Sasuke and now Jiroubou. Both had used the curse seal, and both had been easily defeated soon after. Was it possible that these two Konoha nin had a method to nullify the curse seal? In case it was true, Sakon now knew that using their seal would be of no use.

"Go!" came Ukon's voice. Snapping out of his train of thought, Sakon glanced at his brother and instantly realized what Ukon had meant.

Sakon hesitated for a split second, stuck between helping his own brother and going to save Jiroubou whose chakra had almost vanished. Sakon knew that if Jiroubou used anymore chakra than now, it would be much harder for Sakon to find him.

It was not until Ukon yelled again that Sakon started running towards Jiroubou. It was not until Sakon was a bit further away from his brother and his pink haired opponent that Sakon realized he still hadn't told Ukon about the change in the girl.

It was too late to turn back now. Doing so might allow the blond boy to kill Jiroubou, and join the Konoha girl in fighting both Sakon and Ukon and it was only a short while that the brothers would be able to fight as separate bodies. It was best to make use of this short time.

With that in mind, Sakon sped towards Jiroubou's faint chakra signature, hoping that he could keep the slight advantage in numbers on their side.

X—X—X—X—X

Jiroubou was stunned, literally stunned. He had released the curse seal, used its immense speed and power boost in order to assault the blond boy, both with fist and with the morning star.

The first punch had been barely avoided by the blond boy, the Konoha ninja remaining within melee distance, too close for Jiroubou to be able to use his weapon.

Jiroubou attempted to kick the boy in his stomach, and watched as the boy leapt backwards and into the range of the morning star.

With a grin on his half seal covered face, Jiroubou had swung his weapon in a murderous arc, looking to take the boy's head off with it. Yet the very first swing of the morning star had caused its destruction as the blond boy simply kicked the ball, smashing it to pieces.

Realizing that it had been a chakra enhanced kick that had brought about the demise of the weapon, Jiroubou had growled out loud, speeding at the blond boy using every ounce of the new strength granted to him.

Blow by blow, Naruto had evaded him, dodging and weaving his way between the blows, trying to find an opening through which he could use the remainder of the seals he had created to use on Sasuke.

Barely at first, but as the battle went on, Jiroubou had noticed that it had gotten easier for Naruto as the blond got a measure of Jiroubou's maximum speed.

Then had come the end game. It had been one simple punch. The boy had ducked under one simple punch before slapping Jiroubou's back in that hard to reach spot and all of Jiroubou's cursed chakra had simply vanished.

The big man had fallen on his knees, all the energy he had leaving him in an instant, leaving him dazed and groggy.

The boy, however, didn't let up. Running at him, hitting Jiroubou with normal kicks and punches every where he could.

Still dazed, Jiroubou wondered why Naruto had stopped using chakra enhanced blows. Surely that would have finished Jiroubou off, or was Naruto that low on chakra?

Still wondering about the change in the blond boy's methods, the big man somehow managed to form hand seals, calling out the name of the jutsu as he formed the last seal.

"Doton! Iwa no Shitai Yoroi! (Earth Element: Body Armor of Rock)" came the call, as clumps of earth rose from the ground, adorning Jiroubou in what looked like solid rock armor. The next few kicks barely caused Jiroubou any discomfort.

The big man would normally have smiled, but this time, he could only hope that he survived till Sakon and his brother came to help him. This was Jiroubou's last resort. It wasn't his trump card as it wasn't offensive at all, but in times like these, the jutsu was his only hope of surviving till help arrived, if help was on its way in the first place.

An attack came from behind him, one that Jiroubou could actually see, yet could do nothing about. The big man strained his muscles, yet could not turn his body more than halfway. He saw Naruto smile as the armors weight obviously slowed Jiroubou down.

Without speaking any words, Naruto produced a few clones, all of them standing just in front of Jiroubou, before all of them and the original disappeared in a dust cloud.

Jiroubou could only imagine what plan they had come up with in order to get past his armor.

X—X—X—X—X

Ukon continued his assault on Sakura, unaware of Sakura's ease at blocking his attacks. Though the number of blows had doubled since Sakon had left, the fact that it wasn't two people attacking her, helped Sakura out loads. Now there was only one source of attacks, and only one person she needed to keep her eyes on.

Ducking under one kick of Ukon's, Sakura put her plan into motion, calling the scalpel chakra to her fingers and cutting his standing leg's hamstring.

Ukon screamed out loud as he fell, his leg giving out under him. He knew it was over the moment he felt the pain and the leg give out. He knew he could move no longer.

Ukon watched as his opponent came to stand over him, just out of arms reach and he made to crawl away using his still functioning leg and arms.

The sound nin clenched his teeth as he felt a boot press on the back of his thigh, forcing his leg still. Though he knew what was coming next and had gritted his teeth, Ukon could not help but scream as he felt his other hamstring being cut.

He silently wished that his brother had not heard him scream. For if he had, it could mean the end for them both.

X—X—X—X—X

Something struck Jiroubou hard from behind, pushing him forward, continuing to do so until he was almost off balance.

The big man turned only to get kicked in the face from a side, his head turning slightly. Another came from the opposite side, each with enough power to cause the man to turn slightly even with his rock armor.

The next blow came somewhere from below him, too fast for his eyes to register. The punch landed on his chin, enough power to cause his head to snap upwards, though not far.

And it was then that Jiroubou saw the ball of chakra heading towards his face.

What it was, Jiroubou would never know, for it came fast and hard. All he knew was that he would not survive this particular battle, his facial armor already dislodged and cracked by the previous battering.

Jiroubou screamed as the rock peeled away from his face, his nose caving in under the jutsu, before his head gave way in a mass of blood.

Uzumaki Naruto, not dirtied at all by the blood showering from Jiroubou's now headless corpse, rushed towards where he could feel Sakura's chakra.

The death had been brutal, but it had ensured the job. It had been so brutal, that Naruto decided voicing the jutsu was no honor to the jutsu itself.

X—X—X—X—X

Sakon was only halfway to Jiroubou when he first heard Ukon scream. The sound nin immediately stopped in his tracks and was about to head back when he heard Jiroubou scream, the agony cut off abruptly by something that was sure to be death.

Another scream from Ukon made up Sakon's mind for him. Jiroubou was dead, that much Sakon knew. His brother was still alive, and could be saved if Sakon hurried.

The pink haired girl was still there as Ukon's screams were still audible and it was obvious that Ukon was only alive to draw Sakon to him. Yet, there was still one thing that could work in Sakon's favor. The blond boy was still behind him. That meant that Sakura was alone and that would ease Sakon's job for now.

With that in mind, Sakon sped towards his brother, taking to the trees and hoping that he would make it in time.

X—X—X—X—X

Sakon and Naruto arrived at the source of the screams simultaneously, each from a different direction.

Sakon glanced at Naruto and furrowed his eyes. Jiroubou had died, but it had not been the blond boy that had finished off the job. If it had been, then there would have been no way that he could have gotten here as fast as Sakon. One of his clones then, rationalized Sakon, but he had more pressing matters to attend to.

His brother was on the ground, bleeding from multiple cuts, some that even Sakon knew were fatal, the pink girl standing over him. The rage boiled up inside of him, his voice of caution calling out to him but in vain.

Sakon rushed at Sakura, his eyes clouded, never expecting the next tree branch he landed on to sprout spikes and impale his feet. Sakon screamed as his foot was impaled, the rest of his body following the momentum gained by leaping through the air.

Ukon watched as his brother fell forwards, both his hands the next to be impaled as they touched the tree trunk. Ukon noticed that the spike that had impaled Sakon's leg was no longer there.

The last thing Ukon saw, before Sakura slit his throat was a long wooden stake sprouting from the tree branch and skewering his brothers head.

X—X—X—X—X

Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura took to the trees moments after Ukon's death, the both of them taking a slight detour before they headed in the direction of Tanzaku Gai.

Honestly, Naruto would have loved to take Sasuke back with them when they went back, a bonus from this unofficial mission to find a person capable of being the 5th Hokage. However, the two new chakra signatures that they had felt had spoiled their chance at taking Sasuke back. Neither of the two Konoha Genin wanted to face another opponent that day and had chosen to simply abandon the Uchiha where he was and make a run for it. It was also why they had chosen to take a slight detour, a route with which they could be sure not to meet who ever that was being sent for Sasuke.

The both of them felt that they could be of much more use to Konoha alive and fighting than dead in some non-distinct woods near a city.

To add to the glumness of the day, both Naruto and Sakura had finally achieved what they had taken this trip to achieve. Naruto had learnt the Rasengan while Sakura had managed to finally get the hang on Mokuton, both of the new techniques blooded within the same day.

On a happy note, they had managed to confirm three members of the sound killed during their fights. Three less ninja to assault Konoha's walls in case Orochimaru attempts a second takeover. A result to a good day's worth of fighting, decided Naruto, besides the fact that the both of them were still alive and that Konoha had not lost two ninja.

Now, all the Konoha genin were hoping for was to make it back to Jiraiya before he made a move against Orochimaru, before Tsunade actually made a decision on which offer she would accept. Naruto hoped that by the end of the mission, they would be able to add two more ninja to the list on Konoha nin back at home.

X—X—X—X—X

O_O

Another chapter done… sorry for the long wait… been busy… and then writers block T_T

As usual… :D

REVIEW!

Oh… and I have no clue which one of the twins is older… so just bear with me :P


	30. Chapter 30: I am Godaime!

34 reviews! Awesome to see that you guys still continue to read this… I honestly forgot to write…

For the sakura not killing Sasuke issue… yes I realize that it would have been easy for Sakura to do that and be done with it… but for one reason, the Hokage of Konoha (since for the moment, there is none) has not decided whether to pursue the Uchiha or to declare him a missing nin and have him killed on sight… until then, Sakura cannot take that decision herself and finish the job…. He IS the last Uchiha after all.

Jozern: Sorry for the over use of surnames, will try to keep it limited from now on… I just don't like calling Sasuke, Sasuke… in my opinion.. he shouldn't even have a name :/

Soujiroxii: I realize that too… but a lot of fics complete the team with Haku or someone else… I just want something with an incomplete, under strength (number wise) team.

ArtanisRose: I think I've corrected the typing errors now

Petitefeeme: Pssst… it's spelled Syntax :P not synthax xD

GLJ: Time skip? Not sure yet. Maybe, maybe not… maybe I'll actually write the whole training…

All Forms of Fluff: I've split my reply to you into three parts :P listed below.

True that I havnt really pointed out the flaws of the scroll which Sakura uses… but trust me there are… it will be pointed out later

Time wise, it wouldn't be just two months… two months wouldn't be enough for the wave mission and back… the actual cannon doesn't do much by giving us time… so it's kinda hard… I'm going with four months for now…

Honestly? Sasuke can be outclassed… he ain't that much of a genius… I honestly feel that if Sakura and Naruto were paid proper attention, they would be on par with Sasuke. Currently, they actually are… Sasuke's rage just makes his decision clouded, and he doesn't see everything clearly.

What Naruto used are normal chakra seal tags… the ones he used to drain himself of chakra for training… it's not specifically geared to own curse seals… it will do the same with normal chakra. Which is why Sasuke fainted and why Jiroubou only had enough to perform one jutsu. Why use a trump card so soon in battle and unless you have no other choice?

Team 7 are colder than usual… the original mission that they were sent on, forced them to radically change their thinking and methods… in cannon, they never had a kill to their name before the Chuunin Exams… this time they did.

Dragonghost: Sakura and Naruto are a pair. Ever since the training in the wave… the both of them have shared their knowledge, plus helped each other learn. It was only a matter of time before Sakura would have learnt the Rasengan… to be honest though, she hasn't learnt it yet.

Now that I have answered all the questions plus some issues raised… I think I can get back to writing now xD

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 30: Godaime

It was the last day of the time Orochimaru had given Tsunade to decide on what answer she gave him. It was the last day that she had to decide if she wanted her brother and lover back. And it was the fact that it was the very last day that bothered Yakushi Kabuto.

It was the very fact that Kidoumaru and Tayuya still had not returned from their retrieval mission that worried him to bits.

"Kabuto-kun." came Orochimaru's voice and the Snake Sannin's assistant spun around to see his master standing in the doorway.

"Have the two Sound come back?" asked the pale faced Sannin and Kabuto shook his head helplessly.

"Good." Came the reply and Kabuto's eyes widened before narrowing in curiosity.

"Come, it is time that we paid Tsunade a visit about her answers." Spoke the Snake Sannin before he turned around and walked away.

X—X—X—X—X

Kidoumaru and Tayuya had arrived where they had last sensed Sasuke's chakra signature just a few seconds before the figure of a blond Konoha ninja appeared in front of them.

With little thought, both of the sound nin had imposed themselves between the Konoha nin and Sasuke, blocking the blond boy's path towards his obvious target.

Their orders had been detailed and strict. Their only job was to ensure that Uchiha Sasuke was alive and that he returned to the sound base safely. If spoken in terms of the very words they had been given in, their job was to 'get in, get Sasuke and get out.' Nothing had been said of their team mates, it was obvious that Orochimaru thought them of no great importance. However, if it came down to it, the sound nin would happily give their lives for the man who had given them a purpose in life.

Yet, Tayuya could not help but breathe a sigh of relief as she watched the blond boy go, immediately turning to Kidoumaru once Naruto was out of sight.

"Take Sasuke and head back to the base." She said, continuing upon seeing Kidoumaru's puzzled look.

"I want to see if Sakon and Jiroubou are both dead."

The Sound girl was gone before Kidoumaru could say anything, leaving the man to pick up Sasuke's body and bound through the trees in the very direction he had come from.

X—X—X—X—X

Back inside the walls of Tanzaku Gai, Jiraiya walked through the streets alongside Tsunade and her assistant, his thoughts elsewhere.

"Have the genin come back yet?" asked Tsunade and Jiraiya simply shook his head.

"Do you think something might have happened?" asked Shizune, the concern and worry evident in her voice.

"Something must have delayed them." Said Jiraiya, speaking his mind. "Or else they would have been back yesterday."

"Shouldn't you go check?"

"No. I can't leave the both of you alone." Said Jiraiya.

"But they are both genin!" exclaimed Shizune, failing to see why Jiraiya refused to go look for them.

"That's exactly why I'm not going to go."

Shizune turned towards Jiraiya, ready to let out a barrage of words at the Toad Hermit when the man spoke up again.

"Look, the delay is most likely an attack on them. They are genin, Tsunade is a Sannin and you are the apprentice of a Sannin. They might under-estimate the genin, but they sure won't underestimate you. Which is why you need my help more than they will."

"Jiraiya's right." Spoke Tsunade. "Besides, it's a bit late for him to leave now."

"Why is that?" asked Shizune, a slight chill going up her spine. She silently wished that Tsunade's answer was not what she knew it would be.

The younger woman felt an urge to groan the moment the words came out of her masters mouth.

"They're here."

X—X—X—X—X

Shizune turned around at the sight of movement from the corner of her eye, bringing into view three men standing on a wall.

"You're early." Called Tsunade at the trio of newcomers, one of them, Orochimaru.

"One tends to get impatient when he doesn't have the use of his arms, Tsunade-chan. Especially when that man is a ninja." Said Orochimaru, as he scanned the trio of Konoha nin standing before him.

"I see you met Jiraiya." He added and Shizune stole this chance to study the three men from the sound.

"I found him peeping in on my bath." Said Tsunade, nonchalantly.

"Better than finding him peeping in on your grave." Scoffed Jiraiya.

"I don't peep into people's graves, Jiraiya-chan, I rob them." Said Orochimaru with an evil smile. Shizune wondered how the Snake Sannin thought that robbing graves was better.

"Now, if you don't mind, my answer please."

"Why are you in so much of a hurry?" Asked Tsunade, eyeing Orochimaru. "Did Jiraiya's two genin beat up your Uchiha?"

It was only a flicker on Orochimaru's face, but the anger shone clearly on his face for that fraction of a second. Tsunade had struck a nerve.

Shizune's careful observation of Orochimaru's glassed assistant brought to her attention a slight glance towards the direction they had come from, an obvious glance of worry.

"So they did, but not only the Uchiha, more of your Sound? That's the reason you are so surprised to see Jiraiya here?" taunted Tsunade, knowing that it would tick Orochimaru well off.

The anger at the taunt rolled off Orochimaru in waves, the Snake Sannin's smile completely wiped off of his face. In fact, Orochimaru's snake eyes seemed much more cruel to her than they had the first time they met.

"You know what? I'm spoiling for a fight, so I'll give you my answer now. As Godaime Hokage of Konoha, I hereby sentence you to death."

Blurs flew past Shizune as soon as Tsunade spoke and for one second, the assistant to the new Godaime Hokage of Konoha had no clue where she was supposed to go.

X—X—X—X—X

Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto ran through the trees for the second day, much closer to Tanzaku Gai than they had been when they had stopped to rest the previous night.

There had been no discussion of why they were stopping nor about the strategy of the location they were stopping at. Their minds had been focused solely on getting the needed rest and racing for the city where they were sure to be needed.

The duo had woken up early, a little before the first bit of light, leaving their temporary camp as soon as they woke up, their hands full of dried bread and fish with which they replenished their energy. Now, they were on their way again and the itch for battle rose in the pink haired girl. Soon, she told herself. She only had to be patient for a few more hours before she would be in the midst of battle and then she could let loose.

X—X—X—X—X

Senju Tsunade had covered half the distance before her clone finished her sentence, chakra pumping into her fist, unleashing the deadly blow towards her once team mate.

Jiraiya had also sped alongside her, leaning a little ahead in order to block of Kabuto's approach. Jiraiya had sensed something different in Orochimaru's assistant, and Tsunade was not about to leave it to chance.

There was a flash as Orochimaru's other henchman reacted to the two's attack, placing himself between the two Konoha Sannin and their traitor team mate, the young man's arms raised up to cover his face. Jiraiya being closer to the man, diverted his attack to this barrier, slamming his strongest attack into the midriff of the man, savoring the feeling of a broken man at the end of his fist.

During that fraction of a second of impact, Tsunade saw the blue orb of Jiraiya's rasengan attempt to eat into the man's stomach unsuccessfully. It was this failure of the destructive jutsu that caused Tsunade to slow a little and allowed Kabuto to knock Orochimaru away from under the possibly fatal punch.

Out of the corner of her eye, the Slug Sannin saw the second henchman be propelled into a massive boulder by the Rasengan's force, Jiraiya immediately turning his attention towards Orochimaru. Jiraiya had assumed the man dead, but Tsunade knew better.

The last surviving Senju watched the object fly through the air, not expecting it to burst upon hitting the ground, spraying large amounts of blood into the air.

Tsunade's eyes widened at the sight, her body refusing to move at her commands, the memories of the blood of Dan and Nawaki staining her hands, flooding through her head.

Tsunade watched helplessly as Kabuto ran towards her, hoping to take advantage of this paralysis and take credit for the death of the second Hokage within a month of the attack on Konoha. The white haired Sound nin was only a few feet in front of her when Shizune appeared, attempting to kick Kabuto in the head.

X—X—X—X—X

Taken off guard by the assistant's sudden appearance, Yakushi Kabuto flipped backwards, barely avoiding the blow. The silver haired man followed the flip by tucking into a side roll as he landed ensuring he dodged any would be follow ups.

Shizune didn't. Her main objective now was to protect her mentor and guardian. The last thing she wanted now was to get sucked away from Tsunade and allow Kabuto to sneak past her. All he would need to do is slip past her and then it would be all over.

The dark haired assistant watched as her opponent rose up onto his feet once he realized that Shizune had no intention of keeping up her assault.

Orchimaru's henchman pushed his glasses up his nose, the sunshine reflecting off of it giving him and his grin a much more evil look than usual, one that told Shizune worlds about the man's capabilities.

"I never expected this to work when Orochimaru-sama told me about it. After all, blood is such a common sight in a medic's field. It shouldn't freeze you up. But here I am, surprised to see that it actually makes you docile and harmless." Said Kabuto, knowing that he had both women's full attention as well as the upper hand in the fight.

The man took a few steps to his right, his hand reaching for his kunai pouch as he noticed Tsunade struggling to move even a part of her body. Being a medic nin himself, he could see the slight twitches of her muscles. She would break out of it soon and he needed to remedy it.

His eyes focused on Shizune as his evil mind started working again. What he needed now were the right words to make the assistant drop her guard a little, be it through surprise or shock at his cruelty. One opening would be all he needed.

"I wonder, does a phobia such as yours, increase with the amount of blood that is in your sight?" Spoke Kabuto, his voice just a whisper in the wind as he disappeared, appearing at Shizune's side, his kunai slashing in an arc.

Blood splattered from Shizune's arm and the assistant screamed in pain only to be cut short as Kabuto's boot slammed into her cheek, sending her flying.

So fast, thought Shizune as she landed on the ground, rolling to her feet in one swift motion. He had been so fast that she couldn't even react to his attack. The medic nin gritted her teeth as she stood up again, her eyes resting on the silver haired man, her hand clamped over the slight cut on her arm.

"mmm. No difference, maybe there wasn't enough added to it."

Kabuto vanished again and Shizune slashed out wildly with her uninjured arm, moving towards the direction she had whipped her kunai in as fast as she could. Her theory was that if Kabuto appeared where she had slashed, then he would block her or he would fall back. If he didn't, then the path would be clear and her movement would have carried her far enough to evade any attack that he was attempting.

Her plan, however, didn't work as well as she had hoped for it to. Kabuto had appeared low and to her side, her slash making him lean back slightly to avoid the tip of her kunai. This lean, though slight, ended up saving the younger medic nin's life, Kabuto's slash opening up her robe from hip to breast yet only barely grazing her skin.

Shizune ran forward, tripping, rolling and jumping in random unpredictable directions. Kabuto was simply too fast for her. No matter what movement she made, he would be there, slashing a bit of her clothes or even at times cutting her.

He was playing around with her. That much was for certain. His cuts were deep enough to draw blood yet not deep enough to cause significant wounds or death. She knew that he could kill her at any given time instead of chasing after her and somewhere in her heart, Shizune hoped that help would arrive before he took her life.

X—X—X—X—X

Not too far away from where Kabuto was playing his game of cat and mouse with Shizune, Jiraiya and Orochimaru were facing off with each other.

"Impressive force behind that Rasengan, Jiraiya-chan. Do you giggle as girly as you used to?" asked the Snake Sannin as he rushed towards his former team mate, lashing out with his foot which Jiraiya caught with ease.

The toad Sannin attempted to flip his rival over, causing the Snake to lose the momentum of the attack. Jiraiya acted on pure instinct, thrusting his hand towards Orochimaru hoping to hit him. Yet somehow, the snake Sannin managed to evade it.

"Atleast I don't run after boys like you do!" growled the Toad Sannin as he continued his charge at the Snake Sannin, lashing out with his fist. No matter what taijutsu move Jiraiya tried, Orochimaru would just slither away from it.

This was no time to play fair, Jiraiya told himself. Tsunade had frozen up and it was obvious to any onlooker that Shizune was fighting a losing battle for her life. The women needed help and the closest source of help would be the two genin he had brought along with him. Only Kami knew how close they were to this battlefield and Jiraiya didn't want to take any risks. The only remaining option was for Jiraiya to kill Orochimaru and help Tsunade.

The toad hermit leapt to a side, breaking off from his relentless assault on Orochimaru, yet sticking close to his opponent. Jiraiya took the extra free space he had made in order to form hand seals for the Goukakyuu, a plan already formulating inside his mind. The fireball leapt out towards Orochimaru, who, due to the close proximity of the jutsu's performance had to jump upwards in order to evade it.

Straight into my hands, thought Jiraiya as he rushed through the smoke of the jutsu, four kunai speeding out in front of him, aimed for the chest of the mid-air Orochimaru. There was no way even a Sannin was evading such a close and yet brutal attack but you could never be sure if the job was done, and that was why Jiraiya was closing in behind, Rasengan in hand.

X—X—X—X—X

Yakushi Kabuto felt the heat of the Goukakyuu from where he was standing and knew that the battle was taking a different turn now that Jiraiya had begun to use jutsu.

"It's a pity that our play time has been cut short." Said the silver haired man as he dropped the bloody kunai in his hands, a green glow replacing it. "It seems that my master requires me."

Shizune's eyes widened at the sight of the chakra scalpels, knowing that her time on the earth was fast coming to an end.

Kabuto vanished from his spot, much faster than he had been earlier and Shizune threw herself away from where she was, the multiple cuts she had on her legs limiting her choice of movements. Shizune let out a small sigh of relief as she witnesses Kabuto's chakra enveloped hand slam into the ground raising a large cloud of dust.

"D-D-Don't you t-touch her." Gritted out Tsunade as she willed her body into action, managing to rise onto one knee instead of her previous sitting down position.

"Marvelous recovery Tsunade-sama. Looks like the volume of blood spilt doesn't affect you at all." Said Kabuto, appearing before Shizune's face for the third time in that day, his kunai stabbing into her abdomen.

Shizune crumpled to the ground, the strength fading from her body as she bled from her multiple wounds. The knife stab wasn't fatal, all three of the nin in that vicinity knew that, but it effectively ended all the resistance that Shizune had put up, trying to delay their fate as long as they could.

"This is the end." Said Kabuto as he looked at Shizune in her eyes, no sign of sympathy or humanity left in his. A second kunai rose up and Shizune prepared for the slash downwards, her eyes open and defiant till the end.

The slug sannin's apprentice couldn't stop the sigh of relief that escaped her when Kabuto dropped his hand, his eyes gazing towards the fight between Orochimaru and Jiraiya as if it was bothering him. She had managed to live a little longer, Shizune realized and decided she should thank Jiraiya for it. Soon, she would be able to fix herself, once Jiraiya either killed Orochimaru or forced him to retreat.

It was then and only then that Shizune saw the other sound member standing near Kabuto, his pale deathly body unharmed by the rasengan that had slammed into it.

"Kimimaro." Called Kabuto. "Kill them." Were the only words that Orochimaru's assistant said before he disappeared into the wind, leaving the hopes of Tsunade and Shizune to deflate once again. Neither of them were in any position to fight, much less defend themselves from an attack. For all they knew, this knew sound nin didn't even want to play around with them.

Senju Tsunade watched as the younger of the two nin, stuck his hand into his other arm, pulling out a sharp and wicked looking bone with the words "Tsubaki no Mai" being intoned, furiously commanding her body to move unless it wanted to see another loved one die in front of her. The man had a blank look in his eye, the look of a killer who had killed countless times and had no hesitancy doing it again and he was going for the closest life source to him, Shizune.

"Over here!" she managed to call out, causing him to stop after taking just one step. "I'm the Hokage." She said, trying to force her legs to raise her body to offer him a bigger target, one that could potentially be more dangerous if she regained her muscle movements.

"I'm the one your master wants dead. So take me!"

Tsunade nearly gave a shout of success as the sound nin turned towards her, seeming to take her bait. However, Tsunade faltered when the man raised his hand, his fingers pointed toward Tsunade's apprentice, the name of the jutsu leaving his lips in an audible note.

"Tessendan (Finger Bullets)"

Senju Tsunade closed her eyes, flashes of Dan and Nawaki dead, blood splattered, going through her mind. She could not watch another one of her precious people die in a similar way.

X—X—X—X—X

Jiraiya in the meantime was simply fuming at himself.

He had had him. He had had Orochimaru on the brink of death. He had been within an inch of ending the traitors life when the other sound nin had intervened, pushing Orochimaru away and taking the blow himself.

For the second time since the battle had started, Jiraiya had found himself shoving a second rasengan into the same opponents stomach and on this occasion, found that it did not eat into this man as it would any normal shinobi.

For the second time in the battle, Orochimaru had found himself saved by the very container he had kept refusing for his soul while Kimimaro found himself blown away by the force behind it. His bones were strong, yet Kimimaro knew that he wouldn't be of much use to his master if he was getting blown away like that. Luckily for the bloodline user, he found himself not too far away from where Kabuto was and found himself switching places with the medic nin.

That, in return, made things more complicated for Jiraiya. Where once he had a disabled and jutsuless Orochimaru whom he could chase all around the park, now he had two ninja of whom one was able to do literally everything a ninja should be able to do.

Thinking quick, the Toad Sannin jumped back a couple of times as Orochimaru and his apprentice came at him with a flurry of attacks. Jiraiya's nervousness with being attacked by two Jounin level ninja's vanished at once when the blows started to fly. Though both Orochimaru and Kabuto had greater strength, more speed and jutsu's up their sleeve, their timings and co-ordination were bad. None of their attacks meshed together, and while avoiding the blows were easy, Jiraiya saw holes in which he could hit back. The training of the two genin brats were paying off in one sense.

After a few minutes of attempting to land a blow on the Toad Sannin and instead allowing the both of them to be hit a little, Orochimaru and Kabuto withdrew giving the other Sannin a little bit of a breather. Though Jiraiya hated to admit it, dodging a couple of Jounin level nin's attacks were much more tiring than dodging a couple of genin's attacks.

"Isn't it time you gave up Jiraiya-chan?" asked Orochimaru as Kabuto fell in behind him, adding his own piece of information to the pot.

"Both of your wards are probably dead now." Said Kabuto, his hand reflexively pushing his glasses higher up his nose. "I left them both immobilized."

"True that. But you didn't consider reinforcements in your plan did you?" came a younger voice causing all three pairs of eyes to glance at the new arrival, to see Uzumaki Naruto standing atop a yellow colored toad.

The young boy jumped down from the toad, his usual grin spread out all over his face.

"Shizune-san and Tsunade-sama are fine." Said the boy nonchalantly as he walked towards Jiraiya, the cloud of the toads dismissal rising up behind him. "Sakura-chan is with them now."

"You're just a Kagebunshin." Said Orochimaru as Naruto walked closer to them. "What do you think one simple clone can do?"

"Nothing." Replied the boy as he stuck his hands behind his head calmly. "I don't even have enough chakra to form one jutsu."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at the boy's honest answer. He had known the moment Naruto had arrived that it had been a clone. Yet the signature he felt as Sakura was strong, that meant the real girl had come. But if so, where was the actual boy?

"But, you have to wonder where my boss is. If he is not here, then where? Surely he isn't dead, if he were, I wouldn't be here. So where?"

The blond boy let the question hang for a little bit before speaking again.

"Ah, looks like it is time." Said the boy. "It's a pity you asked those two to come back you up once your precious Uchiha was in the base. You didn't expect boss to follow them did you?"

"What?" said Kabuto, not entirely following the blond boy's trail.

"Entrance to underground base hidden in rock, no guards above ground, two of your strongest dead, the other two heading here to back you up, two Chuunin level guards near the entrance. Quite a nice base you have there. Whoops, boss has been found aaand there goes the alarm."

The calm expression on Kabuto's face vanished as he started to worry. Orochimaru's angered expression told him all. There had been an error in calculation. No one had expected the blond boy to follow the retrieval team back to the sound's hidden base. No one had expected him to attack it.

Now, their base was much weaker than it had been since the brats had taken out two of the sound five, one of the five was already here and the remaining two on their way here. Now, Kabuto wouldn't be worried if it were a larger force assaulting the base. They would be easy to find and easy to delay, but this was one small boy they were talking about, one pretty good at evading Konoha ANBU at that.

One such boy, lost in the midst of a base with multiple tunnels and caves, could cause mayhem and confusion, allowing him to slip into places he shouldn't be allowed in.

His worry deepened as the familiar figure of Senju Tsunade appeared next to the Toad Sannin and the boy.

"Ah. The final pieces of the strategy come into play." Said the blond boy, his timing impeccable with the arrival of Senju Tsunade.

Jiraiya's eyes flicked towards Tsunade, his thoughts drifting to Sakura and the remaining sound nin. Whatever Naruto had planned better happen quick and it better be effective, thought the Toad Sannin.

"I, Senju Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konoha, officially pronounce Uchiha Sasuke a missing nin and to be killed on sight."

Kabuto's eyes bugged out at the announcement. Jiraiya was there, Naruto was there, there were two Konoha nin present and the announcement would be as valid as any written statement given out in Konoha.

Worst of all, one of them was a Kagebunshin. More to the point, a Kagebunshin of a Konoha nin inside the very base that Sasuke was in.

"The moment I go poof, the boss finds out about the announcement, and your precious Uchiha eyes go bye bye."

Orochimaru was sweating profusely now. He had a choice, the boy might not have found Sasuke yet, if he hurried now, he might be able to save Sasuke. If he could, then all would not be lost, he could transfer bodies now, and wait another three years to take Sasuke's. But, if he stayed here and Sasuke died, there would be no other Uchiha for him to use to gain immortality.

"I wonder if you can make it back before the boss finds him." Added the clone before he cut his own finger with a kunai, going poof as the damage dispelled the clone.

Kabuto acted instantly, biting his thumb before wiping the blood on Orochimaru's dead arms, yelling out "Kuchiyose no Jutsu." And summoning a medium sized snake.

"Don't even think this is over." Hissed Orochimaru as he jumped on top of the snake, Kabuto close behind, calling for Kimimaro. They had already lost two ninja to Konoha and Orochimaru wasn't about to lose more valuable assets.

"Konoha will fall by my hands." Were the last words the snake Sannin spoke as their third member joined them, the snake taking off towards their base, burrowing through the ground.

Tsunade wasted little time at the scene, immediately rushing towards Shizune, Jiraiya close behind.

X—X—X—X—X

Haruno Sakura sat down next to a very injured Shizune, tired after a long battle just simply evading bone swords and finger bullets.

She had thankfully made it in time to save Shizune, managing to snatch her before the finger bullets had hit her.

She also had seen Tsunade, one of the very few female ninja's she had admired, frozen, her body refusing to move amidst all that blood. From even that distance, Sakura had know it hadn't been the sannin's. That had meant it was a phobia. Who would have ever thought a well known medic nin would have a phobia of blood?

There had been little time to think about it back then and the pink girl had launched herself at the sound nin with everything she had. Her first punch had been dodged and the man had simply attempted to stick her with his bone sword. Sakura had shown him she wasn't so easy to kill. Slowly but surely, the pink haired girl had kept the sound nin busy. Busy enough for Shizune to slowly heal most of her wounds with her medical expertise.

Within that fight, she had also managed to sneak a Kagebunshin to Tsunade and helped her break free of the fear. The Sannin had needed little incentive but the fact that Naruto's life depended on her. Sakura's Kagebunshin had also managed to brief Tsunade on what Naruto needed from her. From then on the fight had been simple.

Sakura's Kagebunshin had followed Tsunade to where Naruto's Kagebunshin had intervened in the other fight. It had watched as the blond boy defused the situation, creating a whole new issue in the minds of the Snake Sannin and his henchmen. It had watched and heard Tsunade's announcement, followed by Naruto's dispersion of the Kagebunshin to the timely withdrawal of Orochimaru.

It had waited a few moments before dispersing itself, notifying its comrade with Naruto about the happenings on the home front as he had called it. The clone she had left with Naruto had been the next to be dispersed, transmitting to her the image of her boyfriend leaving the area and heading back towards Tanzaku Gai.

His whole plan had been a whopper of a success. Nothing, not even one bit of it had gone wrong and this little fact caused the pink haired girl to have a smile on her face by the time the two Sannin arrived at her spot.

X—X—X—X—X

An hour since they had departed from the battle against the two Konoha loyal Sannin, Orochimaru and Kabuto barreled into their own hideout with fury and a sense of urgency. Racing down the tunnels, the two men cut down about a dozen of Uzumaki Naruto, finding out each was a shadow clone soon afterwards.

Reaching the room where an unconscious and battered Uchiha Sasuke lay, Yakushi Kabuto breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Sasuke's steady breathing. He was alive.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, was furious. He ordered a thorough search of the whole base, leaving no stone unturned for any more clones of the blond boy.

Once the search was done with, the Snake Sannin ordered everything inside the base to be packed and ready for evacuation as soon as possible.

Kabuto fully understood. A simple genin had found the base by following two of their most lauded ninja. There was no telling what sort of assault Konoha would unleash on it when Tsunade got back.

All Kabuto knew was that Tayuya and Kidoumaru, would be in for a world of pain when they were in another base. All for the reason of allowing a simple genin to follow them. That one simple act, had not only caused casualties amongst the sound nin, but it also had caused Orochimaru to withdraw from a fight that they could have won. One that would have greatly weakened Konoha had this card not been played.

Only time would tell what punishment Orochimaru had in store for his Sound 3 and Kabuto hoped that this time also lightened whatever punishment Orochimaru had already thought up. They just simply couldn't afford to lose more able ninja to Konoha.

X—X—X—X—X

Senju Tsunade and Jiraiya of the Sannin sat outside the hotel suite looking over the city of Tanzaku Gai as they waited for the arrival of the number one most surprising ninja, Uzumaki Naruto. It would cost them a bit more money than they had originally planned, but an ordinary inn was no place to keep an injured Shizune. This suite, however, would ensure that Jiraiya as well as the two genin would be on hand if Orochimaru decided to try his luck again.

Jiraiya had never been as worry free as he was right now. Tsunade, Konoha's new hokage, was safe and sound, that meant the village itself was as safe and sound as it could be. The toad Sannin stifled an urge to laugh at his choice of thought. Whoever thought that Konoha would be safe and SOUND? Sound as in the very village that had tried to destroy them.

Minato's son was safe as well, on his way back to them, if Sakura's reports were true. The boy was canny enough to avoid most of the dangers he would face along the way, and Jiraiya was sure that he wouldn't face any that he couldn't handle himself.

Akatsuki by far, was his biggest worry when it came to the nine tails container. They were the strongest group in the whole of the five nations that could take Naruto with ease. But Jiraiya also knew that Itachi was no fool. He had fought them once, and Itachi would know that Naruto was no easy prey when Sakura and Jiraiya were around. With the addition of Tsunade to their little traveling group, not even an Akatsuki pair would be stupid enough to attempt snatching Naruto away. No one would assume that Naruto would be traveling through miles of woodland alone without his entourage around him.

Jiraiya didn't even want to think about Orochimaru. The Snake would already be licking his wounds by now. Two of his sound lost to two Konoha Gennin, his precious Uchiha beaten to almost pulp by the very same before those very two genin had caused him to retreat back to his hideout. Jiraiya could rest assured that Orochimaru would not attempt anything until he was better prepared.

Sure enough, about an hour into their waiting, a blond mop of hair was sighted bounding along the roof tops, heading in their direction.

"Took you long enough." Mumbled Jiraiya as soon as the blond genin landed on the balcony they were sitting in.

"I had to take a little detour to make sure I didn't run into Orochimaru." Said the boy as he stood in front of them.

"Naruto!" came Sakura's voice from inside the suite. "You smell! Go take a shower!"

Uzumaki Naruto, the boy who had saved Shizune with his unorthodox plan, sweatdropped as he imagined his pink haired team mate standing their her hands on her hips, fuming at the boy.

Before the boy could walk into the room, Senju Tsunade asked him one simple question.

"Sasuke?" she asked and the boy shook his head.

"My clones didn't find him. I'm not stupid enough to go into an underground base alone." Said the boy before he walked inside, disappearing into the room where he sensed the presence of his team's other half.

Both of the Sannin just sat there silent for a moment before they stood up and walked in to the suite themselves.

They both needed a good rest, especially since they were planning on heading towards Konoha early the following morning.

X—X—X—X—X

Another Chapter done! After a long wait :P

Sorry guys, just been caught up in studies.

Anyways! REVIEW!


	31. Chapter 31: Commitments

Before we all start off, I'd like to say one thing…

I might end this story next chapter… but if I do, it will only be so that this becomes the first part in a trilogy of some sort. I dunno, my plans will most likely change somewhere during the writing of the second book.

AAAND! I've decided to write a series of stories as well, no worries, all are Naruto fics :P

But, they will all be stand alones and may not have anything to do with this one :D

Anyways…. Enough ranting…

Enjoy ;)

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 31: Commitments

The trip back to Konoha started early for the five ninja making their way back from Tanzaku Gai. All of them were ready for a long trip before they reached their hidden village. Shizune, though her wound had been healed externally by the medic nin skills of both Tsunade and Sakura, couldn't risk jumping from tree to tree in the fear of one of her internal organs rupturing.

The first day of walking saw questions raised about Naruto's plan to save Tsunade and his little adventure inside the Oto base.

One of the very first questions were "How did you even get the idea of assaulting the base?"

"It wasn't planned at all." The boy had said, recalling the events that had unfolded as they had sped back towards Tanzaku Gai after defeating their would-be ambushers.

They had fled the site of their kills once Naruto had sensed the other two Sound nin arrive at Sasuke's unconscious body.

Their detour, instead of taking them away from the pursuers, as they thought the sound nin to be at the time, had actually taken them closer to the retrieval squad.

Both of their chakra levels low, Naruto and Sakura had both kept their signatures concealed, and had followed the two sound genin as they ran somewhere as fast as they could with Uchiha Sasuke flung over their shoulders.

Though his mind had kept reminding them that Jiraiya would need help at any moment, Naruto had shut out the voices knowing that even by following the Sound nin, they were still heading towards the city of Tanzaku Gai.

By nightfall, the Sound Nin had hastily camped up in a tree, traps set up all around them in a twenty metre radius.

The Konoha genin did the same, but unlike the Sound nin, the two did not bother setting up any traps. Uzumaki Naruto didn't believe in laying traps when they were covert. The traps, if laid, would protect them from anyone stumbling unto them, but on the other hand, would also warn any ninja that did not know of the two's presence.

Instead, Naruto had created a silent net of Kagebunshin, spreading them around both him and Sakura in a protective shell of sorts. He also created a few Kagebunshin with very low chakra to keep an eye on the sound nin.

Satisfied with all his precautions, Uzumaki Naruto had cuddled up next to Sakura, the both of them drifting into sleep not soon afterwards.

X—X—X—X—X

By far, adjusted to their vigorous training schedule, Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto had woken up at the very first sign of sunlight, minutes ahead of the duo from Oto.

Yet, it wasn't until the chase had resumed that Sakura had actually questioned what in fact they were up to following the Oto nin.

However, Naruto had not answered her and though Sakura felt an unease at knowing the Sannin would need their help soon, she followed her team mate with complete faith in his judgement.

The moment the Oto nin had vanished into their underground base, Naruto had explained everything to her.

The sound nin were obviously nervous, she had realized, as they had gone into their hideout, not even bothering to make sure they hadn't been followed. The speed at which they had traveled along with the fact that they had not managed to sleep at all, according to Naruto, made things clearer to the girl.

It was now obvious that Uchiha Sasuke was of absolute importance to Orochimaru of the Sannin, though why she was not sure. Deep in her gut, she knew that the only reason any Uchiha was important to any particular village was because of the Sharingan and wondered if Sasuke would have been paid any attention if he didn't have one.

"It was only when the two sound nin that brought Sasuke to their base reappeared that I first thought of the plan." Said the boy, recounting the points that had enforced his belief in the fact that it would work.

"All I knew then was that I would be attacking it, just to cause enough ruckus to make Orochimaru come back." He added.

"For some reason, I actually wish you had found the emo bastard." Spoke Sakura as she calmly walked alongside Shizune.

"Coming from a girl that used to love him like he was the last boy on earth, that's really funny." Retorted Naruto, a sly grin spread all over his face.

Seeing the anger on Sakura's face, Shizune decided to intervene before things took a turn for the worse.

"How come you didn't find him? Your clones did know that he was pronounced kill on sight." She asked.

"I didn't send in that many clones." Said the boy. "All I sent in was ten. I didn't want to waste too much of my chakra on a diversion in case Orochimaru caught me fleeing the scene."

There was a bit of silence as the others thought of more questions to ask the boy, but it was Naruto who spoke once again, another grin lighting up his face.

"But it was fun to see the look on Orochi-teme's face when the clone multiplied after they were spotted. Made the teme feel like a whole army had gotten in."

"Thinking of Orochimaru mad makes me feel sorry for Sasuke." Said Jiraiya as a matter of fact. "Just imagine the pounding the poor boy's ass will get."

The statement caused different versions of Sasuke's ass getting pounded by Orochimaru to pop into each person's head. Almost all of them were sexual for very different reasons. Tsunade and Jiraiya knew Orochimaru and could not help but wonder why he liked to abduct children. Naruto and Sakura meanwhile knew Sasuke and that he had not even once accepted the advances of a girl. Shizune, knowing neither of them that well, had simply just imagined Sasuke getting beaten up.

The statement also caused the current thread of questions about Naruto's plan to end, the group slowly diverging into conversations between each other.

X—X—X—X—X

Taking the scenic route, which also happened to be the shortest route, the group found themselves camping in remote locations every night. It gave Shizune time to rest her wound and Jiraiya saw no reason to hurry them back.

It was on one such night, camped in a forest that Sakura found some time alone with her boyfriend.

It had been late, yet sleep somehow had refused to come to her. The pink haired girl had decided there was no reason to force herself to sleep, instead setting her mind on taking a walk through the forest, taking the time to feel the trees and the life growing within it.

It was during this walk that she saw Naruto, high up on a branch of a massive tree, fast asleep.

Not wanting to rouse the boy, Sakura jumped up to the branch, landing as softly as she could, her heartbeat quickening as she laid her eyes on her sleeping boyfriend.

Though she had seen him peacefully asleep many a time, there had been rarely a time when she herself hadn't been dead tired or had another worry troubling her and for once, she saw herself taking in the boy she had grown to love throughout her time with him.

Smiling a little, Sakura made her way to his side, laying her head on his shoulder and her arm across his midriff.

There was a slight whisper from the boy, something that sounded to her as if it was her name. Curious as to what Naruto was dreaming about, Sakura raised her head, in turn lowering her arm so that it fell across a hard bulge in his pants.

The pink haired girl could not help but blush as she realized along what lines her boyfriends dream was moving along but decided it was best not to interrupt it. If things went like this, they would have more and more opportunities to become intimate, she thought and with one hand loosely gripping the bulge, Haruno Sakura slept.

X—X—X—X—X

Waking up the next day started out as an awkward experience for Naruto, finding a particular area of his pants wet and his member loosely in the grip of the girl that he had dreamt about.

He had barely stirred when the grip on his member tightened, the hand properly feeling the wet patch on his shorts. The boy felt himself harden again when soft lips kissed his neck and whispered to him.

"Did I do that to you, Naru-kun?" asked Sakura in a breathy voice, her hands gently stroking him as he got harder.

"Wow. I guess I did." She said as she slowly got off of him, kissing him with all she had.

Though temporarily stunned by Sakura's sudden boldness, Naruto was quick to recover, kissing back with the same passion that she had begun with.

His hands came up around her hip, slowly moving upwards along her back, caressing every inch of it through her shirt.

Overcome by the feeling of her love's touch on her bare skin, Sakura found herself closing her eyes and letting herself go, all her walls breaking down in the love that she felt. Right then and there, Haruno Sakura knew that she was willing to give him everything she had, even at such a young age.

The girl gasped in the middle of the kiss as one of his hands moved through her shirt, slipping under the bandages she wore, cupping her budding breast and gently playing with her nipple.

Her hands left Naruto's crotch, the feeling of her soft hand around his member vanishing and the girl heard a slight moan of disappointment. Pulling away from the kiss, Sakura gave Naruto a loving smile, leaning backwards and taking her shirt off.

Naruto's expression was priceless, his mouth hung agape, in wonder as she slowly unwound the bandages she had wound to keep her breasts from interfering in combat situations.

He was upon her the moment all of it had come off, his mouth gently closing over her rosy pink nipples. To Naruto, they were the most beautiful pair he had ever seen, the areolas pink, almost blending in with her skin.

Sakura moaned at the touch of his tongue on her sensitive nipple, slowly putting her hand inside his shorts, grabbing the hot, hard member in her hands with nothing else coming between.

Recalling what she had read in her medical scrolls and some facts she had read in some of her mother's books, Sakura quickened her stroking of his member as it grew harder, the veins pulsing like mad as it neared its limit.

Sakura felt Naruto's mouth loosen around her breasts as he neared ejaculation, taking the opportunity to whisk down his shorts, enveloping his member within her mouth, sucking and slurping as she bobbed her head up and down.

Sakura honestly didn't know where she had learnt to do that, but it felt right and she wasn't going to argue with all the noises that Naruto was making. It was apparent that he was caught up in all the pleasure.

A grunt and a thrust into her mouth later, Naruto released his load of semen inside her mouth, which Sakura surprisingly drank up.

Once his member had softened after its ejaculation, Sakura slowly climbed up his body, kissing him once more before smiling.

"That was." Breathed Naruto, lost for words as well as breath from the pleasure he had gotten.

"I've got more to give you." Cooed the girl as she hugged him, still topless and Naruto smiled at her.

Yes, he also had more to give her, but that could wait for another time. For now, he had let her give him as much of her as she was ready to and she was happy with it. The rest of it would come slowly and with time.

Time was something Naruto was prepared to give this relationship, as much time as he could.

X—X—X—X—X

The long nights and the late departures continued, the two genin staying up late just to talk and be in each other's company. It allowed Tsunade to come to terms with the decision she had made, preparing herself for long hours of work dedicated to the furthering of her home village. It allowed Jiraiya to catch up on his writing as well, coming up with more scenes of lovemaking for the next book in his Icha Icha series. Little did he know that he had missed one scene happening not far from him.

These nights as well as mornings, while delaying the Godaime's arrival in Konoha, also allowed Jiraiya as well as Tsunade to teach the two genin slight tricks from up their sleeves.

One such neat and handy trick had been Tsunade's Chakra Enhanced Taijutsu techniques. Little different from the makeshift versions the two genin used on their own, Tsunade's technique required the chakra to be focused at the point of impact, rather than encase the whole limb in chakra. And this small difference had allowed both of them to learn this technique much faster than they had any others.

The rest of the techniques taught during the trip were not real techniques apart from the fact that they all use chakra in one form or another. None of these were combat techniques, rather techniques that would make a normal household or camping chore a lot easier. Some of the jutsu which were taught with this in mind didn't even have names as no ninja had ever come to need one.

The main reason for the whole no training trip was that both Jiraiya and Tsunade felt the need to let the two genin be what they really were. A pair of kids that were fascinated with the sights and sounds before them, not to mention their interest in each other.

And as such, the rest of the trip was spent walking at a leisurely pace, getting to know each other.

X—X—X—X—X

The party's entrance into Konoha wasn't as quiet as Naruto or Sakura would have liked. Some random Chuunin had tipped the civilians off that Tsunade would arrive at any time and crowds had gathered inside the gates and if there was anything that Naruto hated, it was civilian crowds.

Luckily enough, Kakashi popped up before the party had cleared the trees and had warned them of the welcoming party.

Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably as the six Konoha nin walked towards the gates, the crowd waiting expectantly behind it.

He had voiced his discomfort entering through the crowd, even given the reason why he hated it so much but his request to enter via a different route had been declined. So had his request to enter separately from the group.

Kakashi had simply smiled at him, telling him that he should give the crowds a chance. Maybe they didn't think of Naruto as they used to think. Yeah right, thought the boy as he walked closer to the very mobs that had beaten him within inches of his life when he was younger.

He didn't hate them, that much he was sure of, yet it also didn't mean he was totally comfortable with appearing in crowds where the civilians outnumbered him hundreds to one.

One other thing he was sure of was the fact that he was safe. Jiraiya and Tsunade were a fearsome fighting force on their own, but the addition of their Jounin Sensei had comforted Naruto a little, only the hesitancy towards the glares that were sure to come remaining in him.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one that was uncomfortable.

"You know I hate entrances, Jiraiya." Grumbled Tsunade as her team mate stepped in behind her, giving the future Hokage the lead.

"I know, but to them, you are the savior of Konoha, the one that will rebuild the village that was destroyed by treachery."

"Fine," she spoke. "but it still makes me uncomfortable."

"Well, think of it as practice for your speech to the whole population when you get inaugurated." Said Shizune, hoping to help out but doing the exact reverse in actuality.

"You're not helping." Chorused Jiraiya and Tsunade, the both of them scowling at the Godaime's aid.

Shizune shut up quickly, a faint eep squeezing itself out of her before she could control it.

Naruto and Sakura were the only ones to hear it, and unfortunately for poor Shizune, neither of them could control the laughter at the elder nin's reaction.

Laughter was good, Naruto realized. It had literally washed away all his discomfort and worries.

"No glares." Breathed Sakura as she looked around into the crowd. "They aren't glaring at you."

Naruto almost stopped in his track at Sakura's words, catching himself before he actually did.

Sakura was right, there were no glares. Nothing that radiated their hatred towards him. Sure, he felt no love or no kind of care in some of the looks he was getting, but indifference was an improvement in his case. And to top it all off, some were even giving his smiles.

This, was a sensation that he had dreamed of for a long time, and for once, he had no idea how to even describe it.

The boy continued walking, shell shocked at the difference in treatment that he hadn't noticed after he had become genin.

"Why are they looking at me like that?" he finally managed to ask.

"Someone saw you take on the Sand Jinchuuriki." Came the voice of Nara Shikamaru as he and his team mates caught up to Naruto and Sakura.

"The word has been spreading like fire." Spoke Chouji, his words barely audible through all the potato chips stuffed in his mouth.

"They say you prevented the village from more destruction." Said Ino. "All the girls are calling you a hero." She continued with a wink towards the boy.

"Hands off, Ino-pig." Growled Sakura and Ino laughed at her best friend's reaction.

"Have you claimed him Sakura?" teased the blond haired girl, making her pink haired friend recall the moment they had had recently, causing her to blush.

"Oh my god! You have!" squealed Ino, dragging off Sakura with a scream of "tell me more."

"You deserve it Naruto." Spoke Kakashi as he saw the blond boy's unbelieving look.

The boy could only nod, not knowing what else to say or even think about it.

"Go grab a shower and get some rest." Said Kakashi once they had reached the Hokage tower. "Tsunade-sama will have to meet the council before her inauguration can take place. Your mission debriefing won't take place until tomorrow."

Naruto nodded, leaping off towards his apartment without a further word. It was obvious to Kakashi that the boy was still quite shocked about the difference in treatment. It might take a while, but Kakashi knew that Naruto would soon adjust to it.

When the time came, Naruto was sure to have the whole of Konoha to back him up.

X—X—X—X—X

By the time Haruno Sakura was able to escape the grasp of Yamanaka Ino, it had become really late in the night. The lights to her house had been switched off, the front door locked as usual but thankfully, Sakura always kept the spare key on her.

Too exhausted to even check if her mother was awake after all, Sakura fell on her bed, her mind going through all the information that Ino had managed to torture out of her.

Well, Ino would have gotten the information any way, Sakura had realized, the Yamanaka family jutsu list, all dedicated towards controlling the enemy as well as gleaning the information they possessed.

But all in all, Sakura was happy Ino had throttled it out of her. Though the act had been done in the heat of the moment, Ino's interrogation had made her realize that she did not have any doubts about what she had done. In fact, Sakura was dead sure she would do it again if she got another chance.

Though she still did not know whether what she felt was love, Sakura knew one thing as she fell asleep. She was committed to this relationship and would do anything in her power to stay by his side.

X—X—X—X—X

Meanwhile, not far away from where Sakura lived, Senju Tsunade was also lying in her bed, the thoughts going through her head not much different from the young girls.

To be completely honest with herself, Tsunade had never expected to be coming back to Konoha, never expected to be coming back to the place which had allowed two of her most precious people to die. Now, she realized that she had been wrong to blame the village in the first place. There was nothing the civilians nor the ninja could have done to save either Dan or Nawaki, their time had simply come and one way or another, they had died, their souls gone to join Kami.

Now, there was a new generation of Konoha nin that needed guidance and teaching, two of them, Tsunade had already met.

First and foremost, there was Uzumaki Naruto, the prankster of Konoha, the container of the Kyuubi and the son of the Yondaime Hokage. A literal chakra powerhouse, Naruto had the makings of a devastating front line ninja, his wide usage of shadow clones backed up with a to be wide range of jutsu.

Then came Haruno Sakura, one of the few genin she knew to have two chakra affinities, ones as interesting as Suiton and Doton none the less. With the chakra control Sakura had, Tsunade could not help but agree with the ANBU Tenzou's words that it would be possible for the young genin to learn Mokuton. With Sakura's added interest in medical ninjutsu, Tsunade only wondered where the young girl could go if she pushed herself.

Then came Nara Shikamaru, the next of the genin to catch her eye as she read through the files of the Konoha nin. Though lazy and unmotivated, Shikamaru had the IQ as well as adaptability for a squad leader, his sensei Asuma noting that the Nara heir had a knack for strategy more so than his father.

These three, Tsunade realized, would be the first of the Konoha nin she would speak with after her inauguration, their promotions to Chuunin being her first act as Hokage.

Hokage. One title. It was all just a title, she thought. Yet it meant so much to the village, the Hokage being its leader in everything, including commerce, diplomacy as well as the village's armed forces. The title that her grandfather and his brother had held, one after the other. The title that her brother had wanted and striven for with all his heart before he died. The title that Naruto currently strove for, defying everything in his way, including the hatred of the village that he sought to lead. The title that she would inherit tomorrow, from her very own teacher who had been killed by her team mate.

However, there had been one thing common in all of the Hokage's that she remembered, her grandfather being the first, his brother the second. Tsunade had not been born till after her grandfather had died, but had heard stories of how he mysteriously vanished while fighting Uchiha Madara. His brother, no less greater, had sacrificed himself during a Shinobi war, in order to ensure Konoha's forces could withdraw without heavy losses.

The next to give his life in the line of duty had been the Yondaime, the fourth Hokage, Naruto's father as well as Jiraiya's student. The youngest of all the Hokage's, Minato had given his life to seal the nine tailed demon fox in his own son. He had not only given the village his own life in that act, but so had his wife, Uzumaki Kushina, and the both of them had dedicated their son's life in serving the village as well, acting as a jail and container for the demon fox that had sought to destroy them.

Last but not least was the third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, her very own Jounin sensei. Though he had thought himself retired after the inauguration of Minato as the fourth Hokage, he had been called upon to lead once again after the Yellow Flash's death. He also, had given his life for the village, this time protecting it from one of his own students that sought to extinguish Konoha from the face of the earth.

Each one of these four men had given their lives defending the village, each one of them devoting countless hours to deciding the fates of the people they led as well as the dreaded nightmare that would be the paperwork. Each one of them had been dedicated to their job and that simple title that bestowed upon them forces that would be able to move mountains.

And for one odd moment, Tsunade realized that she too was committed to fulfilling her part of the deal, to live and to die as the Godaime Hokage of Konoha.

X—X—X—X—X

O_O no internet at home apparently does wonders for one's writing…

Well… anyways… review!


	32. Chapter 32: Plans

First of all, I'd like to apologize to all of you readers, for the realllly late update.  
I've had a busy few months in life, with a tough semester, a broken laptop and writers block… but, I shall keep at it and youll see more updates apart from this one :D

Lalaith: I'm giving no spoilers ;)

Lerris: I'll give suiren a shot :D

Ppsh: I don't believe people run outta things to learn from anyone, theres always that odd bit of twist or skill you can learn. And to be honest, all of your reviews are too long to reply to in one go… hope you understand.

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 32:

The Inauguration of Senju Tsunade as the Godaime Hokage of Konoha was a festival much like none Naruto had ever seen in his lifetime. Whether it was due to the fact that this was the very first inauguration he had ever attended or if it was due to the fact that he wasn't thrown out of the grounds, he did not know, but the Number One Prankster of Konoha loved every moment of it.

The Inauguration had started off with the announcement of Tsunade's appointment as Hokage by none other than Jiraiya himself. The Toad Sannin had been hesitant to take the podium in the first place, but no one had managed to find either of the Hokage's advisors, Koharu and Homura.

The next thing to happen had been the crowning of the Hokage, something that Naruto had dubbed the 'hatting' much to Sakura's and Sayaki's laughter. The 'hatting' was one of the shortest things to happen that day and Naruto had wondered if Jiraiya had simply dumped the hat on to Tsunade's head just to get it over with.

Tsunade's speech came next and to everyone's surprise, was short and straight to the point.

"Dear people of Konoha." She had begun, her steely gaze locked into the crowd, some feeling as if she was looking straight into their eyes.

"You have been through a lot within the past three weeks." She had said. "You have survived the attack of two villages, even though it was at the cost of many shinobi and loved ones. You have survived the loss of the Sandaime, who gave his life protecting this village from the vice grip of Orochimaru. You have survived the attack of one of the Jinchuuriki, a Shinobi developed for the sole purpose of housing the powers of a Bijuu. You have gone through more than anyone can ask of you, and for that I shall not keep you from your festivities any longer."

"As the Godaime Hokage of Konoha, I pledge to you, my life and all my strength, to the development and success of Konoha as a Hidden Village as well as a commercial center."

The crowd gathered at the Hokage Tower erupted at her words, their cheers so loud that someone outside of Konoha would have heard them. Hats were thrown in the air as music started playing, the festival kicking off then and there.

There would be one day, they had all decided. One day of celebrations would follow the 'hatting' of the new Hokage, one day that they could all spare from the rebuilding of Konoha. One day of fun after a long three weeks of toil and mourning.

There were no further words as Tsunade whirled around from the balcony she stood on, her coat whipping behind her as she walked into her new office. The festivities that were occurring in the village were the last thing she had in mind. There were more urgent matters that the Hokage had to address, matters such as the council meeting that she was now headed to.

The festivities in the streets spread in all directions, people that hadn't managed to reach the Hokage Tower joining in the fun in the streets. Large amounts and types of food were cooked and served in restaurants at cheaper rates. Clans held small tournaments of ninja skills as festivities in their compounds, accepting guests from other clans and areas of Konoha within them.

Though the lanterns were still unlit, the bright colors they were colored with were noticeable to even the smallest of children, people pointing up as various designs of lanterns and lights were hung out in the open.

Naruto and Sakura were having one of the best days in their lives, eating their fills of cheap sushi and ramen as they walked along from one shop to another, chatting amiably with each other. Little were they to know that it would be one of the rare times that they were going to be able to enjoy such a festival in the future.

X—X—X—X—X

Senju Tsunade walked into the council chambers for the first time as Hokage, Jiraiya and Kakashi flanking her, her personal ANBU guard following them.

The large council chamber was occupied with a number of shinobi and civilian council members, a rough 3/4ths the size of the council before the invasion attempt on Konoha. Each neatly seated around a large table.

The Clan Heads of the major Konoha clans were present, Shikaku the head of the Nara Clan, Tsume the head of the Inuzuka clan, Inoichi the head of the Yamanaka clan, Shibi the head of the Aburame, Chouza the head of the Akimichi clan and finally Hiashi the head of the Hyuuga clan. The heads of the commercial district of Konoha were present as well, as well as the majority of the civilian elected members.

Those that were missing were Danzo the Root Leader as well as the Hokage's advisors, Homura and Koharu along with two more civilian council members killed in the invasion.

"Hokage-sama." Came Hiashi's voice as soon as Tsunade walked to her seat at the head of the table. "The council would like to extend our congratulations upon your Inauguration."

"My thanks." Said Tsunade with a curt nod as she sat down, Jiraiya taking up a seat on her right while Kakashi just stood leaning against the wall.

"There are a few things that I would like to discuss with you all today, some of more urgency than others." She began. "Rest assured that by the end of this meeting we will have discussed everything including the plan to rebuild the village as well as our Shinobi forces, but first let me give you a heads up on some decisions I have already taken."

"First of all, I am sure that all of you will be interested to know the fact that I myself was attacked by Orochimaru within the past three weeks." Spoke the newly 'hatted' Godaime, drawing a round of glances at each other from the present council.

"Me, Shizune and Jiraiya were assaulted inside the walls of Tanzaku Gai as Jiraiya attempted to convince me to come and take up this position as the Godaime."

"If it were not for Haruno Sakura's timely arrival as well as Uzumaki Naruto's plan, I doubt either of us Sannin nor Shizune would be here in front of you today."

"For that simple feat alone, I would like the council's opinion on promoting both of these genin to Chuunin. You may speak." Said Tsunade, leaning back in the chair and allowing the council to talk amongst themselves.

This was her very first council meeting in a long time, Tsunade realized, and she simply didn't have the sway anymore to jump directly into the Uchiha Sasuke issue. She would have to begin this subtly, and give them all the evidence she could.

"I do not believe the Shinobi Council has any objections to the promotion of the two genin. Their performance in the final tournament of the exam was brilliant, their growth rate incredible as well as their adaptability." Spoke Tsume, a hint of how impressed she was showing in the way she spoke about them.

"While we are talking about promotions, I would also like to nominate Nara Shikamaru for promotion as well, for his performance in the exam too."

"He is lazy." Commented none other than Shikamaru's own father, Shikaku. "Though even I have to admit, he has the smarts for a leadership role."

"Alright." Said Tsunade, noticing that none of the other council were disagreeing to the matter. "Naruto, Sakura and Shikamaru will be promoted to Chuunin at the end of the day. Would anyone like to nominate anyone else?"

It was only after this slight nudge that one of the civilian council spoke up, finally broaching the subject of their sole Uchiha.

"What of Uchiha Sasuke?" asked the woman, her voice curious as to why the Uchiha hadn't been spoken about.

"Uchiha Sasuke went missing during the invasion of the Sand." Spoke up Kakashi, his nose still buried in the small book he carried.

Hiashi nodded, but it was Inoichi who spoke up next.

"If I remember correctly, it was Danzo who brought him into the tournament arena. Chances are that Sasuke defected along with Danzo and his ROOT. No one has seen him since the invasion."

"I have." Spoke up Tsunade, drawing the attention of the council.

"While we were facing off with Orochimaru and his henchmen inside the city, Uchiha Sasuke and a couple of Sound nin attempted to kill Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura in the woods not too far from Tanzaku Gai itself."

"We cannot be sure who it is that Sasuke is working for, whether it is Orochimaru or whether it is Danzo. One thing that we have known over the years is that Orochimaru has plans for the Sharingan and will do almost anything to get it. My hunch is that Orochimaru is preparing to transfer his soul into Uchiha Sasuke's body, allowing Orochimaru to take over and use the instant copying ability of the Sharingan. It is this little bit of guessing that allowed Naruto to come up with the plan that eventually caused Orochimaru and his henchmen to leave us and retreat." Added in Jiraiya.

"Naruto and Sakura managed to defeat the Uchiha and his helpers before Sakura came to aid us in our fights. The plan Naruto had set in motion required me to declare Uchiha Sasuke a missing nin in order to cause Orochimaru to withdraw in order to save his precious Sharingan eyes."

The normally stoic council gasped at this, some of the civilian council that favored the Uchiha muttering to themselves. Not wanting to lose the momentum she had gained, Tsunade continued on with what she had to say, hoping that the council would remain quiet until she was done.

"Having made such a declaration on the field, the first thing I did upon reaching Konoha was going through the Uchiha's file. I am not sure if the Sandaime has made this knowledge available to you, but I feel that the council should be aware of the incidents regarding Uchiha Sasuke while he was a Konoha nin."

"The very first issue that grabbed my attention was his failure of his survival test. For those of you that are not too aware of the graduation rites, Kakashi will explain it to you in detail."

Hatake Kakashi sighed silently at the words, snapping his book shut quietly before he tucked it in his pouch and started speaking.

"Each genin is given two exams before he is inducted into a genin team along with two other genin and a Jounin sensei. The first is his academy exam which tests him on the basics such as rules, throwing weapons, taijutsu as well as ninjutsu in order to ensure that the student is prepared for life as a ninja. The second exam is unique to each village, each village testing a different skill than the other. Konoha conducts a teamwork test to see if the genin are willing to put their differences aside in order to work together and complete the mission or defeat a superior enemy."

"I was the one that tested the trio of Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. While the former two worked together to obtain the bells from me, Sasuke simply refused to work alongside them, instead claiming that they would only slow him down. During lunch break, I explained the objective of the exam and gave the three of them a second chance to work together, but Sasuke refused once again. It was after that that I requested the Sandaime to allow me to train Sakura and Naruto alone, knowing both of them had amazing potential in them."

"However, the Hokage's advisors were not happy with this." Began Tsunade, continuing Kakashi's trail of thought. "So the old geezers along with Danzo, took two academy kids and created a new team with Uchiha Sasuke, no such tests given to them to see if they would survive. Their very first mission was a C rank bodyguard mission to the wave where they faced off against Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist. The mission file states that Kakashi's team was diverted from their original mission in order to help Sasuke's team with their mission and it is during this that the second issue arises."

"The file, updated by the Sandaime himself, states that Uchiha Sasuke purposely substituted himself with Haruno Sakura to save himself from being incapacitated during the last battle against Zabuza and his band of rogue nin. This substitution brought an unknowing Sakura directly in front of an attack made up of dozens of senbon aimed at vital points. It is with luck, I say, that the girl is still alive today. If any of the senbon had indeed hit a vital point and she had died, he would have been responsible for the death of one of his comrades."

Tsunade let the action sink in to the heads of the council before she went on with her speech.

"With these issues along with his attack on the very same Konoha nin recently, I have decided that my decision to declare Uchiha Sasuke a missing nin will stand and it shall be announced to the village as soon as this meeting is done."

There was a silence before a hand raised up from the civilian council members.

"Are there any plans to bring the Sharingan back to Konoha?" asked the old graying man, his voice full of sorrow, whether it was at the loss of Sasuke or the Sharingan, no one knew. One thing Tsunade was glad of was that the meeting had not erupted in fury at what she had decided.

"No, as of yet there are no plans to bring back the Sharingan in any form. However, I do plan on making sure no other village gets it as well."

"How do you plan to do that, Hokage-sama?" asked the Inuzuka Clan Head, Tsume.

"That's where we come to the second issue I would like to raise during this meeting." Said Tsunade, pausing slightly before she began again.

"I would like to get the councils permission on taking two Shinobi out of Konoha for a three year time period." Spoke Jiraiya, relieving Tsunade of some of the burden of speaking.

"As all of you know, Uzumaki Naruto contains the Kyuubi no Kitsune in a seal constructed by the late Yondaime Hokage. My network of spies, have recently uncovered a group of S ranked missing nin under the name of Akatsuki that are seeking out these containers and forcefully removing the bijuu from within them."

"Can such a thing be done?" asked Tsume, worry evident in the female's voice.

"Yes. Though most of the seals prevent the bijuu from forcing their way out, they also allow the container to draw on the bijuu's chakra if need be, allowing the Jinchuuriki to use the bijuu's chakra as if it were his own. I assume that by using a method that puts the container's life at risk, Akatsuki forces the container to tap into the bijuu's chakra and then steal it, killing the container in the end."

"Whatever Akatsuki's objectives are, it is evident that they need to capture and use all the bijuu's chakra in order for their plan to come into fruition. The only way to stop this from happening, is to make the containers so strong they can't capture them."

"Can't the bijuu be killed?" asked one of the younger civilian council members.

"Bijuu are beings of pure chakra. If their containers are killed, they simply manifest in their bijuu form." Said Aburame Shibi and Hiashi nodded in confirmation.

"The major problem with Akatsuki is their strength. We do not know their numbers but we do know that they are entirely made up of S ranked Missing nin which includes Uchiha Itachi, One of the seven swordsmen as well as Akasuna no Sasori. We also have no idea on the whereabouts of their bases. Therefore, we cannot simply wipe them out either." Spoke Tsunade.

"Will the boy not be safe in Konoha?" asked another civilian council member.

"We've already been infiltrated once by this Akatsuki, keeping the boy inside Konoha would not be any safer than out there." Spoke the Hyuuga clan head.

"Out of Konoha would be much safer." Added Jiraiya. "It will allow me and the boy to constantly move from one place to another making it harder for Akatsuki to make a capture attempt. Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame have already attempted it once, fleeing the moment I arrived at the scene. I do not believe they will risk taking on a Sannin."

The council was silent for a few minutes, each of the members taking a few moments to digest the information that had been given to them.

It was the Inuzuka head that spoke up first, her voice calm and steady as if she realized that there was no better alternative than what had been suggested.

"You spoke of a second nin to take along with young Naruto?" she asked and Tsunade nodded, letting Jiraiya take over the job of explaining his second choice.

"I would like to take Haruno Sakura along with me as well." Said Jiraiya, another round of gasps going through the council, this time mainly from the shinobi members present.

A murmur started running through the council members, none of them expecting to hear what the Sannin had said.

"Surely you would like to take someone more experienced, someone that could be of more use should Akatsuki attack." Spoke Inoichi.

"No." came the Toad Sannin's response. "A Sannin travelling with a small boy and a high ranking ninja will simply attract too much attention. More so if I take along a ninja of Kakashi's caliber."

"Besides," cut in Tsunade. "Allowing Jiraiya to take a Jounin out of the village for such a long period of time would be noticeable to any and all parties that have an eye on us. A missing genin on the other hand, will not be noticed as much."

"Her familiar presence may make a difference while attempting to train Naruto in using his Kyuubi chakra." Spoke up Hiashi this time. "Specially when he's taken over by the bloodlust, might be advantageous to have someone, he loves, there to calm him."

"It is during these three years that we will search for and destroy Orochimaru's bases hidden throughout the nations as well as hunt Uchiha Sasuke." Added Jiraiya. "It will provide an opportunity for them to gain battle experience while training."

Tsunade did not know how many times there was silence in the room but this particular silence was the most eerie out of all. This time, even she knew that they disagreed with Jiraiya's opinions. It was the very fact that they knew that he wouldn't change his mind that made it so eerie.

"When do you plan on leaving?" asked Tsume.

"As soon as the kids are packed."

X—X—X—X—X

The sun had barely set, the last rays of sunlight passing through the windows and into Uzumaki Naruto's apartment, bathing the once run down apartment in a warm glow that people rarely saw it in.

Amidst that glow lay the still form of Uzumaki Naruto, prostrate upon his bed, no sign of movement coming from his body.

For once after a long long time, Naruto felt emotionally shattered, thoughts of himself being an orphan filling his head with weird permutations of Ifs an what could have beens.

The news of the training mission had been delivered to the two genin shortly after the meeting itself, orders to pack coming soon after from Jiraiya himself. Naruto had agreed, yet Sakura had hesitated before asking for one small favor from the Toad Sannin.

Sakura had asked for one night, just one single night, to spend with her mother whom she wouldn't see for an entire three years and Jiraiya couldn't find it in himself to say no to such a request. Naruto, on the other hand had stayed quiet.

For it was the one time, since the discovery of who his father was, that someone had reminded him, though inadvertently, that he was now an orphan.

Little by little, Naruto thought about the things he had missed with his parents, starting from the very first moment he spoke, his very first steps, his first tooth, his first day at the academy, his graduation as a genin to this very day, the day of his departure from the village.

Little by little, the emotional walls he had built cracked after years of weathering taunts and insults from the civilian mobs. The floodgates that Naruto had barred for so long finally broke, the tears washing down his face, his body wracked with audible sobs that echoed inside his empty apartment. Losing control of his emotions, Naruto's anguish came out in long wails, just barely quiet enough not to attract attention from the outside.

Not too far from the blonde boy, Hatake Kakashi stood near the very stumps he had tied Uchiha Sasuke to during the teams first test. Standing there, the silver haired Jounin recalled everything, from the teamwork the two members of his team showed on the very first day, to their very first mission for the Kanika Rebels. He walked through the memories of their fights against the Demon of the Hidden Mist and his band of ninja to the way both Sakura and Naruto fought in their Chuunin exams. If not for the performance alone, but their valuable help defending the village alone had warranted the Chuunin vests they were to get tomorrow. Yet Kakashi knew that many more great things were in store for the two ninja that formed the latest team 7 and it pained him greatly, that he wouldn't be able to witness their growth for the next three years.

Kakashi vanished from the grounds not much later, the man heading deep into the earth to where the body of his father, Hatake Sakumo, lay. It was where Kakashi had retreated upon the death of his teammate Obito, and then the death of his Sensei, the Fourth. Now even though he hadnt suffered the death of a loved one, Kakashi felt like he was losing what family he had left and as usual came to the only place where he felt closest to them. A bottle of sake next to him, saucer in hand, Hatake Kakashi set about drowning his sorrows in a wash of alcohol.

X—X—X—X—X

Mitarashi Anko walked into the Hokage's office with a straight face and gave her audience one heavy sigh before nodding towards them.

"What about Sakura?" asked Tsunade, her gaze fixed firmly out her window, her eyes featuring a hint of sadness at the reports she was getting.

"It seems she is heading for Naruto's apartment." Said Kurenai, a little smile playing along her lips.

"Her mother?"

"Kept company by a Kagebunshin." Came Asuma's report.

"Atleast we have someone who isn't drowning in grief." Snorted Tsunade.

"She also happens to be the only one out of the three that hasn't lost all of their family." said Gai and the very fact that there were no speeches or exclamations about the lotus or the powerful flames of youth worried the rest of the people gathered in the room to no extent.

"What happens now?" asked Tsunade as she turned around to face the last person in the room.

"Nothing." Came the reply as the Toad Sannin stood up from his seat in the corner and turned to leave. "We let the night take its course. It is no place for us to be meddling in other peoples losses."

Though Jiraiya was able to mask his words, Tsunade felt the weight they carried with them. The loss to Hanzou, the betrayal of Orochimaru, the attack of Kyuubi and Minato's death, Orochimaru's attack and the loss of the Sandaime all bore heavily on Jiraiya who blamed himself heavily for not being able to prevent the events.

Tsunade understood as she had her own losses that she still hadnt fully dealt with. Dan and Nawaki, the deaths, their bodies, still haunted her dreams frequently and she hoped for once that the people she loved, including Jiraiya, would come back alive.

Senju Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage of Konoha, lifted her head up from the remembrance and said one word that ended the activities for the night.

She would not see Naruto for another three years, they would be gone by first light, the only person to see them off would be Hatake Kakashi himself, with his gift of the two Chuunin vests.

Tsunade looked through the crystal ball that the Sandaime had used, its powers focused on the happenings inside Naruto's room. The picture at first was a bit fuzzy, Tsunade still not fully accustomed to using it, yet when it cleared up, the Slug Princess could see the duo of Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura sleeping warmly in the comfort of each others arms.

And for once in that sad night, Tsunade actually believed that everything woud be alright.

X—X—X—X—X

Do I still have to say it?

REVIEW! Please :D


	33. Chapter 33: A Familiar Face

To all my die hard, and consistent fans… I'm sorry to say this shall be the last update for this fic…

Nah, just kidding :P

I'm sorry it took me a while, just been busy. But rest easy, I shall continue

Without further ado, I shall let you all get to the chapter you all have been waiting for. Might be short, but more will come your way soon. :D

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke.

Chapter 33

A familiar face

A long two years passed since the day Senju Tsunade had sent Naruto on his training trip, a long two years since Tsunade had allowed her once team mate to take Naruto as well as Haruno Sakura away with him. It had been a long and hard two years for her personally, worrying and fretting over the well being of the two shinobi that had brought her back to her roots, somewhere she hadn't realized she had missed so bad.

Konoha had always held a special place in Tsunade's heart. Ever since her birth, her upbringing and then strengthened by the bonds with the people and the sacrifices made for it by the people that she loved. Thinking back, Tsunade had honestly little idea why she had left the village in the first place, dismissing it as a simple journey taken to find herself. She had been greatly hurt by the losses, and she had needed the time away.

Whether she had found herself or whether it had been Naruto and Sakura that had found her, could be argued, yet Tsunade knew that she would not be the person she was now if she hadn't left at all. The years she had spent on the road had taught her many a thing that she now applied to her rule as Godaime Hokage in Konoha. It was also the main reason that Tsunade had not sent a team on ANBU in search of Jiraiya and the two chuunin.

It had been two years! Two years since she had last heard from that perverted toad hermit! Two years! Tsunade understood the importance of rare communication. It would prevent them from being tracked, but two years without a single report was simply too much even for Jiraiya. And that was the main reason she was currently walking through Konoha, wracking her brain for some comforting voice that would tell her that they were all okay.

She was looking for this seemingly none existent voice when she came across Kakashi who as usual was reading his porn book. However, one thing seemed odd to her and she realized it when Kakashi drew near. He was holding his book upside down, and that only meant one thing. He was concentrating on something or someone else.

"Hokage-sama." He said in greeting, his book going into his pouch as he walked up to her.

"What's going on?" she asked, curious as to why he had come over to her.

"Ichiraku, second stool, facing towards us." He said.

So he was being watched, she thought as she turned around. His coming up to her had been a simple drawing of attention to her, so that whoever was watching him knew that Konoha had the strength and numbers present. The only question that now existed in Tsunade's head was who this particular person was.

Her thoughts as well as her muscles froze the moment she laid eyes upon the woman sitting on the second stool inside Ichiraku Ramen.

Long ankle length red hair, violet eyes that stared back at her, a black sleeveless dress and that trademark yellow pin that parted her hair. It couldn't be.

"Kushina?"

Tsunade did not know if the person had heard it but the name she whispered out brought a smile to the lips of the woman. A smile that stayed on her lips as she stood from her stool and walked away slowly as if beckoning for them to follow her.

Tsunade's body suddenly found the ability to move and the Hokage followed Kushina, Kakashi following closely behind. Kakashi meanwhile, was preparing himself for one of the toughest fights in his entire life, not only because Kushina was one of the people he had greatly loved along with his sensei, but also because the last time he had fought someone here in Konoha, it had been Uchiha Itachi and Kushina could take on Itachi with one hand tied behind her back.

Yet Kakashi felt more confident of himself than he had then, his two years as a leader of a team on leave had allowed him the free time to train himself further and harder than he had in the past. Whatever or whoever it was behind Kushina's mask would see a Kakashi that no one had ever seen before.

The three nin walked for a good five minutes, neither Tsunade nor Kakashi realizing their destination until they stood in front of it.

"Who are you?" Tsunade asked, now that there was no one else around other than Kushina and Kakashi.

"Forgotten me already, Tsunade-sama?" asked Kushina, her voice exactly the same as it had been when Tsunade had last seen her.

"You as well, Kakashi-kun?" she asked, her face slightly turned towards him.

"You're not her." Stated the silver haired jounin, lifting his headband to reveal his sharingan.

"Then who am I, Kakashi-kun?" she asked, turning around to fully face the two Konoha Shinobi. "Your eyes do not lie do they, Kakashi-kun? I am no genjutsu."

Kakashi frowned at what he saw through his eye. She was right. She was no genjutsu.

"So you are real." He said. "But I cannot believe you are Kushina-san at all. She died giving her life to save her son."

"My memories are intact, Kakashi-kun. I very well know I died, the question is, how was I brought back?"

"Edo-tensei." Tsunade breathed, continuing as Kushina gave her a blank stare.

"It is a forbidden technique used to resurrect dead people and use them under the casters control. One of Orochimaru's creations."

"Orochimaru." Said Kushina, her voice harsh, the hatred in it clear.

"There is no way I can disobey his orders now, is there?"

Tsunade shook her head.

"I'm afraid not."

"Then kill me." Said Kushina, stepping forward towards Tsunade. "Before I kill you."

"Why?" asked Tsunade, stepping into a defensive stance, Kakashi's hands going into his pouches.

"It seems like our playtime is over." Said Kushina, falling into a defensive stance herself.

The first attack came quick and without warning, chains erupting from the ground, wrapping itself around Kakashi as if he were a mere present.

The silver haired Jounin fell forward, immobilized, the words "Chakra no Kusari: Ei. (Chains of Chakra: Wrap)" echoing through the air.

Tsunade cursed silently and rushed Kushina, bent on preventing the Red Blooded Habanero from unleashing more of her unique and dangerous ninjutsu. Yet, Kushina was already prepared for her next jutsu, snapping through an immediate set of hand seals.

"Chakra no Kusari! Ami! (Chains of Chakra: Net)"

The net of chains materialized a few meters in front of Tsunade, too close for her to come up with a jutsu to block the attack. Tsunade desperately dragged her heels, trying to decrease her momentum and allow her to throw herself to a side. She needed to evade this, or it would be all over.

The chain net only made half of its way towards Tsunade when a purple haired ANBU appeared in front of it, attempting to cut it down the middle with her chakra reinforced sword. Though Tsunade could not see the look of surprise on Yuugao's face, she heard the curse that the purple haired female let out when the net went on to enclose her in it, the momentum of the net causing Yuugao to smash into Tsunade.

Kushina allowed Tsunade no time to think, much less recover, rushing towards the Godaime with speed Tsunade had not seen in a long time. Tsunade, never being one to turn down a bare handed fight stepped towards Kushina, cocking her arm back for one of her legendary super powered punches. However, Uzumaki Kushina was no ordinary ninja either, simply ducking under the punch, a kunai materializing in her hand and aimed straight towards Tsunade's chest.

Kushina was centimeters away from burying the kunai when the call of 'Suiton! Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" reached her ears, a water dragon lifting her away from Tsunade and into a wall just in the nick of time.

Kushina's eyes darted around the area as she picked herself out of the hole she had made, her violet orbs finally landing on the face of Hyuuga Hiashi as he walked towards her.

"Kushina-chan." Greeted the Hyuuga Head, acknowledging one of his closest friends in Konoha and Kushina did the same in return.

"Hiashi-kun." She said as she stood in front of Hiashi, the latest Konoha nin to stand between her and Tsunade.

"I hope you understand why I cannot let you kill Tsunade-sama."

Kushina nodded and smiled.

"I hope you understand why I can't go easy on you." Replied Kushina. "Even though I'm your worst match."

Hiashi smiled at the last sentence, falling into a defensive yet very much a Jyuken stance.

"It seems it is a hereditary trait. Your son is also a bad opponent for a Hyuuga."

"Shall we see how much you have improved, Hiashi-kun?" asked the red headed kunoichi, a whip like length of chain appearing in each hand.

"I hope you haven't forgotten my style." Said the kunoichi as she sped towards Hiashi, the two chains spread behind her.

The first attack came from Hiashi's left, Kushina skidding to a halt, using her momentum to whip the chain in her left arm towards the Hyuuga clan head.

Hiashi knew this was no ordinary battle and that he could not win unless he closed the distance between him and Kushina. With this in mind, the Hyuuga opted for a different approach, dodging the whip like movement with a pivot and rushing towards Kushina as fast as his body could move.

Kushina smiled at the change of plans, knowing that Hiashi was taking her very seriously for him of all people to go against the clan teachings and rush in like an ordinary ninja. Yet Hiashi had forgotten one thing and that, was a very important bit of information that he would soon regret letting slip from his mind.

Kushina pivoted again, this time towards Hiashi, her other arm coming up before slashing downward causing the chain in that hand to whip down towards Hiashi with blinding speed.

Hiashi saw the chain coming just in time, jumping away from where he stood to see the chain literally crack the ground where it hit. Hiashi cursed his rashness as he watched Kushina throw the other arm at him in the very same movement, watching the other chain come at him from the front.

Hiashi waited this time, waited for the chain to come to him, waited for the chain to show him all of its movement before he struck with both hands, disrupting the flow of Kushina's chakra to the free end of the chain and dispersing it.

"That was close, Hiashi-kun." Called Kushina, her hand lengthening the chain that Hiashi had just cut short.

"You could have died there."

Hyuuga Hiashi watched Kushina as she adjusted her grip on the chains, reminding himself once again that these particular chains were made from her chakra, allowing her to lengthen and shorten them at will as long as she had enough chakra. And knowing Kushina, she had loads of chakra in reserve, ready to be dished out.

The two rushed at each other again, Kushina's chains creating beautiful blue arcs of chakra as she swung them at Hiashi, the Hyuuga member releasing short bursts of his own chakra to destroy her chains.

Tsunade knew that it was a fight that Hiashi would not win, one that he had never won in the past. Instead he was fighting with the end result in mind, trying to rid Kushina of as much chakra as he could so as to give the others who would fight her, a distinct advantage.

Yet the Godaime found herself holding her breath when Hiashi found one little gap in Kushina's dual whip attack, speeding through towards the Yondaime's wife. If Hiashi made it within range for his Divination Attacks, it would be all over but deep within herself, Tsunade knew that it would not be so easy.

"Chakra no Kusari." Came Kushina's response to Hiashi's move, another smile gracing her beautiful face as she spread out her arms as if in acceptance of her death.

"Kushi (Skewer)"

Hyuuga Hiashi, for the second time that day thanked his lightning fast reactions for him being able to stay alive, changing his stance for the Rokujyou Yonshou into a fully fledged Kaiten just in time to deflect the massive amount of spear tipped chains that sprouted from Kushina's body.

Both moves took a good ten seconds to finish, Hiashi forced to expel just as much chakra as Kushina was expelling in order to prevent himself from being skewered by the aptly named Jutsu.

The Hyuuga staggered a little before going down on one knee, the exertion of the extended Kaiten disorienting him as well as draining him more than he thought. However, it was the fact that Kushina was still on her feet, barely fazed by her jutsu that stunned both Tsunade and Hiashi.

The red haired Kunoichi rushed at Hiashi, knowing that the disorientation would only last seconds, and that it was the one chance she had to end it fast. The one strength Konoha had always had was its number of strong ninja and Kushina, being a Konoha ninja herself, knew how hard it would be to finish her job if more started showing up.

Uzumaki Kushina was only a few paces away from Hiashi when a body erupted from the ground in front of her, a punch aimed straight at her face. Kushina skidded to a stop, using the momentum of her run to flip to a side before changing her course towards the now closer newcomer.

The newcomer was either slower than Kushina had thought or the hood that he wore impaired his vision so bad that he couldn't move from his spot until Kushina reached him, kunai cutting through the cloth just under the ribs and into his heart. The kunai sliced through the flesh too easily, her arm pushing in as easy as the kunai as if it was going through water.

Mud! Cursed Kushina silently, as it solidified around her hand, the clone now facing her, its face blank and without feature. The mud clones fist came up as it turned around and punched her in her face, the solidification holding her in place. Before the clone could manage a second punch, Uzumak Kushina whipped her other hand up, a length of chain extending out of it, smashing the clones head straight off. The move also cleared her view, allowing her to see the now unbound form of Kakashi kneeling on the ground in front of her.

Uzumaki Kushina closed her eyes and smiled, her body standing still as Kakashi's hounds erupted from the ground and immobilized her completely. Konoha had won and Kushina was proud that they had grown stronger even in her absence.

X—X—X—X—X

"Who sent you?" came the voice of Senju Tsunade as she walked up to Kushina, the Sannin knowing that if she got no answers now, that she wouldn't get them at all.

"Orochimaru." Came the short reply from Kushina, her body trying to dislodge the dogs that had bitten down on her limbs.

"Why?"

"Revenge."

Kushina watched as the mud clone she had shattered reform, the face of her now dead husband staring back at her in less than a second.

"I'm sorry." It whispered as it started to form handseals, the ones that Kushina knew lead to a sealing technique that would seal her soul forever into the clone.

In a way, she was glad. It was the only way to make sure she could not be resurrected again.

Kushina opened her eyes and looked at Kakashi, knowing that the sealing technique would take her anytime now.

"Tell Naruto I love him." She said. "Tell him he makes me proud."

Kakashi frowned at Kushina, not sure why she had said those words.

"Why else would Orochimaru send me, Kakashi-kun. Will I not be Naruto's greatest weakness? His own mother."

Kakashi finally understood the reason Orochimaru had summoned Kushina, though how he had gotten Kushina's genetic material was still a mystery.

The clones hands stopped, the seals needed for the invocation of the jutsu completed.

"Konshon Betsuri no Jutsu (Soul-Body Separation Technique)" came the invocation of the technique, one that shocked Kushina for it was one she had never heard before.

Kushina watched as the clone touched a tag to her forehead, the seal diagram spreading from it, entirely covering her body in a matter of seconds.

She felt the pull of the jutsu on her soul, her mind lightening as her soul left her body, her eyes staring at her body as she was pulled into the tag.

Kakashi watched as Kushina's head slumped, her wrists and her body losing strength as Kushina's soul was separated from her body.

The Yondaime lookalike clone removed the tag from Kushina's forehead, nodding to Kakashi as he turned away.

"Who are you?" came Tsunade's voice as she, Hiashi and Yuugao walked up to them.

The clone gave her no answer, instead holding out the tag towards her.

"You're going to need this soon." He said.

"Keep the body, but remove the talisman. When you have need of her, take the tag to her body and unseal it."

"Why?"

The clone gave her no answer, instead falling apart at the Hokage's feet, the soul tag falling on top of the clump of mud.

"Who do you think it was?" asked Yuugao, the ANBU member the first to speak out between the four.

"I think we'll find out soon enough." Said Hiashi, his gaze set on something far away towards the gate of Konoha.

X—X—X—X—X

For those of you interested in the new jutsu. Its not mine, I took it off Narutopedia… and it wont work exactly like it says in the jutsu list. Please keep that in mind.

And like always…. REVIEW! :D


	34. Chapter 34: Unfamiliar Chakra

Shiro: This chapter, as well as the next one, will explain what the previous chapter was all about.

AznPuffyHair: No Minato Lookalikes before the time skip.

As for the other reviews… everything will be revealed in time

As for this one… enjoy :D

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 34 : Smell of trees

The trees rushed by as Yamanaka Ino and the trainee ANBU team she belonged to ran in the general direction of Konoha, their eyes fixed ahead of them, searching for any traces of the person they were following.

"_Talk to me, Ino." _Came her father's voice and Ino snapped out of the small trance she had been in.

"We are still chasing him." Ino said, keeping her sentences short, her eyes open and her body moving.

"Whoever he is, he's moving fast." She added. "He still isn't in range of Akiko's Byakugan."

"_Hokage-sama would like to know any details you have on this person. Anything that can help us identify him." _

"Kiba-kun says he smells like trees." Said Ino. "Hard to keep track of. Kiba-kun loses his scent every now and then."

"_Akamaru?"_ came the question.

"Scared." Was Ino's reply. "Refuses to take the lead in tracking. Must be really strong for Akamaru to be scared"

Ino heard her father grunt through the telepathic link between them, one that they had only very recently established as an experimental communication jutsu, one that so far only the Yamanaka clan could establish.

There was a slight break in transmission and Ino knew her father was conferring with the Hokage.

"_Alright. Tsunade-sama is going through the Akatsuki files Jiraiya-sama has sent her. I will contact you when we have more information."_

"Akatsuki?" she said, causing two of the 5 members in her team to turn their heads towards her.

Ino herself was one of the weaker telepaths, being the youngest Yamanaka. It meant that if she wanted to send anything through the link, she had to say it out loud, a kink Ino was determined to work out once she got some free time.

"_Can't hurt to be cautious." _Came her father's thoughts. _"Follow him, stay hidden until I say so."_

"Hai." Said Ino, disconnecting her link to save chakra in the case she would need it.

And as things were looking right now, Ino was leaning on having to fight rather than talking it out.

X—X—X—X—X

In a part of the forest not too far away from where Ino's team of trainee ANBU was, another figure was jumping through the trees just as fast as they were.

"_We're being followed."_

"Konoha?"

"_Don't know, can't sense them yet. Why don't we say hi?"_

"No. If we're being followed, that means they think us hostile. If we stop, we'll get attacked."

"_They'll attack us anyway. Unfamiliar chakra, remember?"_

The figure cursed, bursting through a branch, breaking it in two in a sign of frustration as he dropped to the ground, flashing through hand seals as he ran.

"_What are you doing?"_

"Getting ready. They won't be as stupid as to send a genin squad, not after what happened yesterday."

The voice inside his head was about to speak out when the jutsu took hold, leaving the person with only one voice inside his head, and another person to keep him company as he ran.

X—X—X—X—X

"_Ino." _Came her father's voice and Ino nearly missed her step, managing to catch the branch and swing onto the next.

"_There is information of a Grass nin named Zetsu in the Akatsuki file. Unfortunately, nothing of his abilities or techniques is known."_

Ino cursed their luck silently. Of all the things they were to come up against, it had to be an Akatsuki nin. One they had no knowledge of at that.

"Father, we do not have the chakra to take him on." She sent. "We are low on weapons as well."

"_Kakashi-san and Neji-san have gone to round up their team." _Came her father's message. _"All I need your team to do is delay him till they get there."_

Reinforcements, now that was something she was happy to hear for once.

"Roger that." She sent, cutting the link of again, now that she had gotten the information from her father.

Speeding up a little, Ino took the lead temporarily, signing the details of their conversation as they sped up.

The team leader, a proper ANBU code named Vole, nodded as he received his orders, and watched Ino fall back before he took the lead, signing one set of instructions as they prepared themselves for a fight.

Ino mentally blocked out everything else, knowing that this would be a tougher fight than any she had ever been in, even including the Chuunin Exams she did in the mist.

Vole was right, she realized, recalling the message as her team leader fell back in to formation.

_Attack on sight. Do not give him any chances._

Her mind set, Ino prepared herself, her adrenaline pumping as she looked forward to facing off with the Akatsuki nin.

_Watch me, Sakura. _She thought. _I'll show you that you aren't the only Kunoichi that can face Akatsuki._

X—X—X—X—X

Inuzuka Kiba was currently having one of the worst moments in his life. After a full half an hour of following the Akatsuki nin through the trees, the slightest of human smells allowing him to track the nin, the young Inuzuka had lost him.

A cold shiver ran up his spine as he landed on a thick and wide branch, his nose up in the air, sniffing, trying to regain that scent he had just seconds ago, his ears keenly listening to any sound that might alert him to an incoming attack.

"What's wrong?" came Ino's voice as she stopped next to him, Vole the second to arrive on to the branch they stood on.

"I've lost him." Said Kiba, looking around, half trying to spot the nin with his eyes, half desperately trying to regain that scent.

"What do you mean you lost him?" asked Vole, the anger obvious in his deep growl.

"He just vanished. There is no scent, whatsoever." Said Kiba, Akamaru agreeing with a small whine showing that he was scared at this sudden turn.

"Guys." Came Ino's voice again, this time a hushed whisper as if she was afraid of something.

"What?" snapped Vole, turning towards her, and it was only then that Kiba realized that the Akatsuki nin's scent wasn't the only one that had vanished.

"Where did the others go?" came his friend's voice and Kiba felt his whole body go numb.

Had they been so caught up with chasing the Akatsuki nin that they hadn't noticed their team mates go missing?

Or was it worse than he thought, and had the Akatsuki nin gotten them already?

X—X—X—X—X

The genjutsu was clever, Akiko had to give it to whoever had placed it, the chakra layer so fine amongst the falling leaves that even she had caught it late, barely able to cancel it as it fell upon her. However she had not been able to save her team mates, a well placed kick sending her flying through the trees and another sending her straight down towards the ground.

Luckily for her, the smaller branches and leaves had broken her fall, allowing her enough time to recover and land on her feet instead of falling on to her back and dying in the process.

"Ah, a Hyuuga." Came a distinctly male voice and branch family member Hyuuga Akiko spun around to face her opponent, her breath getting caught up as she laid eyes on a person she never thought she would see in her entire life.

The Hyuuga furrowed her brows, her Byakugan unable to decide whether the person in front of her was the real Yondaime or an imposter. It was no genjutsu, yet it was also not a clone, the body possessing both spiritual as well as physical energies, yet too small in quantity for it to be the real Yondaime Hokage of Konoha and the last she had heard of him, he had died defeating the Kyuubi.

"No wonder you didn't get caught in our genjutsu." Said the man as he stepped towards her, hands tucked inside the long ankle length coat, blond spiky hair falling up to his shoulders, a perfect image of the Yondaime if she had seen any.

All debate of whether he was real or not fled her thoughts as she caught the word our escape his lips. If he was not the only one, then why hadn't Kiba smelled the other? And if there was another, where was he?

More importantly did that mean the second nin was going after her team?

Akiko wasn't given any more time to ponder upon the questions, the Yondaime Imposter rushing towards her, kunai in hand, his speed much slower than she had expected.

The Hyuuga reacted unconsciously, falling into a very familiar Jyuuken stance and unleashing the Rokujyuu Yonshou before she herself knew it.

Akiko never expected her blows to land, half expecting to have to resort to another jutsu the moment he used the yellow flash, yet it never came, reinforcing her suspicions to the man being an imposter.

Slowly regaining confidence in her abilities, Akiko pushed forward with the attack, the Imposter faltering in his step, managing to dodge the very first couple of blows before the Hyuuga sped things up a little, knowing that this could be her one and only chance to end it fast.

"You underestimate me." She said, a grin spreading on her face as her blows landed, closing the tenketsu that her eyes saw, watching them close as she forced her own chakra into them.

A total of 60 blows landed, not as many as Akiko would have liked, but an amount she was happy with against an S ranked nin.

The Imposter flipped back at the earliest chance he got, falling to one knee as he struggled to stand up, the strength seeping away from his limbs as the effects of the attack took hold.

"What have you done to me?" he asked, his voice pained.

"I have blocked all of your chakra." Said Akiko stepping closer, her hand pulling out her ANBU katana for the kill. "You should have done your research on the Hyuuga." She added, finding it quite hard to believe that an S ranked nin had not known of the Hyuuga's style of taijutsu.

"I did." Said the clone as he vanished, his speed entirely different from what he had used just moments ago.

Akiko felt the man's hand grab her throat, lifting her up as he slammed her into a tree, one hand holding down the hand she had the Katana in.

"I just needed to test something out." He said, smiling at Akiko and it was only then that she noticed his tenketsu were never in the same spot.

"How?" she stammered, the thought of how a man could possibly negate the effects of a tenketsu attack ridding any thoughts of her resisting.

"How is this possible?" she asked, hoping to get an answer before her life ended, hoping to know why the things she had believed in her whole life had failed this one critical moment.

"You'll see." Were the last words she heard before her entire world went black, her body collapsing to the ground.

X—X—X—X—X

If there was one thing Yamanaka Inoichi hated, it was nothing more than being stuck inside Konoha while his daughter was in danger.

The Yamanaka Clan head paced around impatiently inside the Hokage's office, his mind replaying the message Ino had sent him not too long ago over and over again.

"Inoichi." Came Tsunade's voice but the Yamanaka was too lost in his worries to even register the fact that his Hokage was calling to him.

All he heard was Ino's voice, the frantic words that she had transmitted to him, fear written all over it.

"We've been ambushed." She had said. "Akiko and Yuuka are nowhere to be found. Send help quick."

Help. Where would he get more help than he already had? Kakashi and Neji had left a while ago. Kakashi had grabbed the third mid ranged transmitter as he had jumped out the window with the make shift team to go and reinforce the trainees. There was no one left that was more qualified for that, yet somehow the knowledge that his daughter was facing an S ranked Missing nin weighed more on him than everything else.

"INOICHI!" came Tsunade's yell and Inoichi literally jumped from his spot.

The blonde man turned around to see the Hokage looking at him with stern eyes and gulped audibly.

"I need you to calm down, do you hear me?" she asked, her voice forceful and strong.

Inoichi nodded, half more afraid for his life if he were to make Tsunade angry than afraid for the safety of his daughter. Getting himself killed would do her no good.

"Good. Sit down and find me something useful on this Grass nin. Kakashi and Neji have both left and they could use as much knowledge on this man as possible before they get there."

"I know the last message has you worried, but their team leader is one of the best ANBU I have and you know both Kiba and Ino are some of the best Chuunin we have." She added, knowing that her reassurance would calm him down.

Inoichi took a deep breath and sighed as he sat down on the nearest chair. He had known he would have to face situations like these the moment he had enrolled Ino at the Academy, he had known she was closer to danger the day she had become Genin, and closer when she had become Chuunin, but to enroll in ANBU had been her own choice and Inoichi knew that even if he did worry, that he had to have faith in Ino and her skills.

With a slight prayer to Kami to keep his daughter safe, Inoichi got back to work doing research on Zetsu.

X—X—X—X—X

Tetsuo Yuuka considered herself lucky, very lucky for the fact that she had seen Akiko put her hands together in the cancel seal, lucky that she had understood what was going on the minute the Hyuuga member disappeared from eyesight, lucky that she herself had managed to dispel the genjutsu in time to watch two nin dash after a falling Akiko.

She was lucky in a sense that neither of the Akatsuki nin knew she hadn't been caught in their genjutsu, for one thing, it would allow her to go and pull the remaining three members from the genjutsu, it would also allow her to stay away from the fighting as much as possible.

Or so she thought until she was within a few feet of Kiba.

The Akatsuki nin appeared in front of her so suddenly that Yuuka literally ran into him, the stronger S ranked nin immediately throwing her away in the direction she wanted to go.

Yuuka was no taijutsu master, she didn't have the strength nor the speed of one, yet, Yuuka had something that no other ninja in her team had, something, the green glow of medical chakra covering her hands as she cut the Akatsuki nins shoulder tendon in the split second she was thrown away.

Making more of a meal out of the Akatsuki nins pained moved, Yuuka slammed into Kiba, effectively knocking him out of the genjutsu as well as off of the branch he had stood on,

The medic nin smiled, knowing now that Kiba was out of the genjutsu, that the tables had turned in their favor. Not only were numbers on their side, the Akatsuki nin had also lost the use of one very important arm.

It wasn't until she laid her eyes on the Akatsuki nin, and as the same green glow around the enemies had disappeared that she realized she had been very wrong indeed.

X—X—X—X—X

"Kiba!" yelled Ino as the Inuzuka vanished from in front of her eyes, his ears barely registering her voice before the scenery suddenly changed and he found himself in free fall, crashing through branches, heading towards real and solid ground.

The Inuzuka broke through a few branches, the tree limbs giving him neither space nor time to recover and attempt a proper landing. The ground was closing in and Kiba felt the time of his death come close before he slammed face first into something soft, white and furry.

"Akamaru!" he breathed in a sigh of relief, a happy woof the reply he got as his canine partner set him down on top of another branch.

Shaking off the disorientation after the long fall, Kiba stood up and took into account his surroundings, noticing things that he couldn't believe he had missed earlier.

Genjutsu, the Inuzuka male realized as he noticed the major change in scenery as well as the reappearance of the scent of the nin he had been tracking. It made sense now, the loss of the Akatsuki nins scent, the loss of his other two team mates.

A curse echoed through the air as he realized that Ino and Vole were still inside the genjutsu, a thought that left his mind as soon as the body of Yuuka came crashing through a tree trunk straight towards him, the Akatsuki nin closing in fast behind her.

Kiba reacted instantly, leaping upwards to catch her, her momentum causing them to skid a little as he landed on his feet, Akamaru rushing towards the Akatsuki nin hoping to buy his partner some time.

Kiba put down a barely conscious Yuuka, just in time to see Akamaru crumple into a heap next to the Grass Nuke nin.

The scene of Akamaru's death blinded him to everything going on around him, including the sudden reappearance of both Ino's and Vole's chakra signatures. Akamaru had been his friend and partner for most of his life and Kiba would be damned if he didn't avenge him.

With a scream Kiba rushed at Zetsu, jumping into the air, spinning into a Tsuuga as he focused his rage onto the Akatsuki nin in front of him.

Little had Zetsu avoided the mad twister that shred the tree behind him that he had to avoid a downward sword slash from Vole, followed by a kick aimed at the Akatsuki nins head.

A roll was all Zetsu managed before he had to dodge another sword, this time from Kiba who apparently was not so furious with rage that he couldn't see the disadvantages in using the Tsuuga while his teammates were around.

The games were over, the Akatsuki nin realized as he also spotted Ino's chakra signature, four unfamiliar ones dotting the area near him, his delay tactics had worked, yet he had not been able to take much advantage of it apart from incapacitating two of the five nin. Now, it was time he got serious.

X—X—X—X—X

"Yuuka!" came the familiar voice of Yamanaka Ino as a familiar face appeared beside the still conscious yet injured medic nin.

"Hey." Groaned the brunette as she struggled to sit up from her lying position, but she knew she had a few broken ribs and couldn't manage to sit up by herself.

"Are you okay?" asked Ino, concerned about the status of their only chance of medical help, if anyone were to end up in a critical state, it would be Yuuka that they would need..

"I'll be fine, just a couple of broken ribs. Go, they need you more than I do." Said Yuuka, wincing in pain as the movements nudged broken ribs.

Ino shot her a look and Yuuka smiled, "If you don't go, we all die." She said and it seemed to convince Ino, though the blonde nin was still hesitant.

"Be careful, he's a medic nin." She called and Ino nodded, transmitting that piece of knowledge to her father as she unsheathed her ANBU sword as well, vanishing to join the fray.

X—X—X—X—X

"Hokage-sama!" came Inoichi's call as he brought his head out of the number of files, causing Tsunade to jump out of her chair.

"What is it?" she asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, only realizing then that she had dozed off.

"It appears that Zetsu has medic nin abilities." He said, searching for Zetsu's Akatsuki file to update it.

"Medic Nin?" questioned Tsunade, a train of thought suddenly appearing in her head.

"A medic nin that smells of trees." She murmured trying to pinpoint where that particular notion sounded familiar. And then it clicked.

"Ask Ino if he's wearing a cloak. A black cloak with red clouds." She yelled, and Inoichi looked at her with a confused expression.

Inoichi, though confused, transmitted the message, trusting Tsunade's reasons for asking that question.

_No. _came the reply. _White cloak, no marks._

"She says no Hokage-sama. She says he's wearing a white cloak with no marks." He said, conveying the message to his leader as he had received it.

"Dammit! Tell Ino and her team to disengage now!" she yelled and Inoichi tried to open the link between him and his daughter to no avail.

The thought confused him. Why would Tsunade at this time call off the attack on an Akatsuki nin that had already killed two ANBU trainees?

Inoichi shook his head and watched for the first time as Tsunade smashed her fist into the table breaking it into two just as Shizune came in.

"Someone contact Kakashi on the radio! Tell him to hurry his ass up! We're fighting our own people out there!"

X—X—X—X—X

Tetsuo Yuuka watched in awe as the battle took place, the Akatsuki nin gracefully dodging and evading all of the ANBU trios attacks without as much of an effort as they were putting into it.

Watching on the side lines, she watched as the Grass nuke-nin appeared, disappeared in time to avoid a katana slash, flash through hand seals to defend against an incoming jutsu with one of his own and still moving away in time to avoid the next blow that was coming.

Yuuka would have believed that he was toying around with the three nin if it had not been for the fact that the Akatsuki nin was not getting in any of his own attacks.

It was not until she saw another figure appear next to her that she knew that she was not alone.

"Relax." Came the persons voice as he walked into view, Yuuka's reaction the same as Akiko's, gasping as she laid her eyes on a person who looked like the Yondaime's clone.

"Does this face really unsettle you guys that much?" he asked, as he lay the body on his shoulder down on the ground next to Yuuka, the body now recognizable as Hyuuga Akiko's, the lookalike sitting down next to them.

"Relax." Came his voice again. "She's not dead. And I'm not going to kill you either."

"Who are you?" Yuuka managed to ask.

"I am her." Came the reply, a finger pointing at the Akatsuki nin that was still dodging the onslaught of the three Konoha ANBU trainees.

"Her?" she whispered. "But Zetsu is a male."

"Zetsu?" came the reply. "You think we are Akatsuki?" he asked, looking her in the face.

"If not Akatsuki, who are you with?" she asked and got a chuckle in reply.

Yuuka watched as the Yondaime Imposter searched inside his coat, producing a hitai-ate that clearly bore the Konoha symbol.

But it was not the symbol that bothered her, it was the very line that cut it that bothered her.

"You're Konoha nuke-nin." She spat, the disgust in her voice apparent.

"No." he said. "We're Konoha nin. This particular headband used to belong to one of your favorites. Me, I'm a clone, so I don't have the hitai-ate on me. She does though."

"You'll find out soon enough." He added, folding his arms behind his head as he leant against a tree trunk. "I can feel Kakashi-sensei's chakra signature. It won't be long."

X—X—X—X—X

"You're done for!" Kiba yelled as he rushed once more at the Akatsuki nin, sword raised high, the slash missing his target clean as the man dodged once again.

"Give up." He said, turning around as Vole and Ino took turns attacking the Grass nin. "Hatake Kakashi will be here in a few seconds with a proper ANBU squad."

Kiba took his turn next, Ino picking up where Kiba had left off. If the knowledge of Kakashi coming to the scene bothered the Akatsuki nin at all, he didn't show it and Kiba slightly wondered what they would have to do to find an opening in this guy's defense.

"How does it feel for an S ranked nin to lose to an ANBU trainee squad?" she asked, rushing in towards the grass nin, looking for an opening they had failed to find for the past few minutes, half hoping that particular taunt would irate the Grass nin.

"I haven't lost." Came the whispered reply from a very distinctly female voice, as she dodged Ino's blade by centimeters.

"Kanashibari no jutsu." Voiced out the nin, her green eyes staring into Ino's blue eyes, the fear the Akatsuki nin instilled in Ino knocking her out like a light.

Kiba watched, stunned as Ino fainted, the odds suddenly turning against them. Vole was the first to react, appearing mid air just near the Akatsuki nin, kick aimed towards her head, but the Grass nin was no longer there.

A slight gust of wind made the hairs on Kiba's neck stand up, a slight pinprick in the neck causing all his limbs to stiffen, and refuse to move.

Kiba fell, his body no longer able to stand, the last thing the Inuzuka registered was the clash of the two remaining shinobi as they took on each other.

X—X—X—X—X

It was in the least to say that Vole was not having a very good day.

It had started out great, their original assignment completed without any complications, the trainee squad he led coming out with a somewhat depleted chakra reserve but still unharmed.

They had been on their way back to Konoha when Akamaru had smelled the Akatsuki nin.

The Akatsuki nin that had incapacitated four of his five man team, one of the four not even in sight and he himself the only one able to fight. To make matters worse, this very same Akatsuki nin was putting up a fight that was driving even him to his limits.

Vole had made the mistake of rushing in the moment she had taken out Kiba with the senbon, the kick playing right into her arms as she took hold of it and threw him crashing through the tree branches towards the earth.

The ANBU captain recovered, grasping his katana and speeding towards the Akatsuki nin who had followed his path, trying as much as he could to conceal the fact that he wanted to fight on the ground.

"Shizen no Shibari. (Bind of Nature)" came the words as the nin thrust her arms out towards Vole, a net of vines shooting out towards him.

Vole cursed silently as he sliced it down the middle, his fast reflexes the only thing that saved him from a kick aimed squarely at his groin.

The nin was gone as soon as Vole felt the impact of her sandals on his blade, the ANBU captain following her into thin air, finally able to let loose his full capacity now that there was little risk of a team mate getting in his way.

Vole assaulted the Akatsuki nin with all he had, forgoing the longer and deadlier ANBU katana for the more agile and easier to use punches and kicks. Though he still hadn't made any direct hits on the Akatsuki nin, Vole knew by the way she was dodging and evading that it was taking its toll on her.

Spinning off one of her kicks, Vole dove downwards, flashing through handseals as he went, the Akatsuki nin close behind him.

Vole rolled as soon as hit the ground, sticking a hand into the earth, pulling out a large chunk of solid rock and smashing the Akatsuki nin with it, the earth shattering as it hit the Grass nin full force.

The move was unexpected and Vole knew for a fact that it had caught the Akatsuki nin by surprise. Zetsu took the blow full on, the Grass nuke nin smashing into the ground as the blow took its toll.

Vole kept up the pressure, raining blow after blow on to the Akatsuki nin, watching the so called S rank nin stagger under the assault, unable to block a majority of the blows in the dazed state she was in.

The grass nin was faint, whether it was due to the fight that had taken place or whether it was due to something that happened before they had attacked him, he did not know. But this was an opportunity he didn't want to pass up.

A few more blows to the body and the Grass nin went down on one knee, the heavy panting now obvious through the hooded cloak she wore. The nin struggled to rise, managing to get half way on to her feet before collapsing again.

Confident that the Akatsuki nin couldn't resist anymore, Vole unsheathed his Katana again, intent on finishing off the man that had so easily taken out a trainee team that he had grown to like and respect.

His eyes harsh and focused, Vole rushed in at the Akatsuki nin, planning to run the katana through her when she disappeared from the spot, the pinprick of the senbon hitting him making him realize that he had fallen for her trap.

Though disappointed, The ANBU captain codenamed Vole fell down with a smile on his face, knowing that Kakashi and his team of reinforcements had arrived, and that it was all over for the Akatsuki nin.

X—X—X—X—X

Hatake Kakashi arrived at the scene just in time to see Vole fall down, a very familiar Senbon in his neck, a white cloaked form on the ground not too far from him.

"Report." Spoke Kakashi as he walked over to the fallen ANBU captain, checking for vital signs and not surprised when he found none.

"We've found 3 of the trainees." Came Nara Shikamaru's voice, the Nara heir being one of the few capable ninja he had found in such short notice.

"One of them is still conscious, Ino's out cold. Kiba and Akamaru have no vital signs."

"Senbon?" asked Kakashi and Shikamaru responded with an affirmative.

"I've got the other. No Vitals, senbon too." Came Hyuuga Neji's voice and Kakashi smiled. This was one of the many reasons he always liked having a Hyuuga around, their eyes.

"Haku?"

"It's the same thing I used on Zabuza, Looks like Sakura knew her work. They'll be fine as long as we get them to Konoha quick."

"Alright." He said, creating a Kagebunshin to pick up the ANBU captain off the ground, the rest of the make shift team appearing in front of him.

The silver haired Jounin, looked around, surveying the scene with his own eyes, the white covered form of Haruno Sakura slung over his shoulder.

"Let's move out." He said and the 7 ninja in the area all jumped off, towards Konoha, the shinobi they had been sent to recover hoisted on to their shoulders

Hatake Kakashi could not help but wonder what an interesting day tomorrow would turn out to be as he jumped from tree to tree, but one thing was for certain, a lot of people would be shocked when they found out what happened in truth.

X—X—X—X—X

Chapter ended up being longer than I thought…

But oh well,

REVIEW!


	35. Chapter 35

Haruno Sakura woke up late the next afternoon, her throbbing head reminding her that she had fainted due to chakra exhaustion in the middle of a fight. The memories rushed back to her, from her failed ambush to the fights she had gone through not too long ago.

The memories brought to her mind a question of who had found her, her instincts kicking in and attempting to get her to jump out a very familiar window.

_Calm down, you're in your room. _Came a familiar voice inside her head and Sakura brought a halt to her panic.

The girl took in a deep breath, calming herself down as she took her surroundings in, noticing her closet, the bears she had once played with and used for comfort sit untouched for days.

_Who brought me here? _Asked Sakura, knowing her other self would have the answers for her.

_Why are you asking me? _Retorted the other Sakura. _You have the memories too._

_I also have a splitting headache. _Pointed out the real one.

Inner Sakura grunted, conceding the point that the main one did indeed have a splitting headache and would find it hard to sift through her memories.

_Kakashi-sensei arrived at the scene just as you fainted. He brought you back._

Sakura smiled outwardly, it was good to know that the silver haired Jounin was still around and as reliable as ever.

The Konoha Kunoichi swung her legs off the bed, groggily standing up as she worked strength and feeling back into her limbs.

_What are you doing? _Asked her Inner self. _You know you're still suffering from chakra exhaustion, you shouldn't be up and about._

_I'm going to get something to eat. We need food too, remember? _Said Sakura, wondering why her Inner self sounded so much like the girl she had been a couple of years earlier.

_And you sound more and more like that boyfriend of yours every day._ Scoffed her Inner self causing Sakura to laugh out loud.

_Tell me about it. _She said with a grin as she gingerly began the trip downstairs, hoping to find her mother and some good food downstairs.

A pang of disappointment filled her as she found the house empty, though a note on the dining table along with a plate of scrambled eggs and toast caused Sakura to smile as she thanked her mother's thoughtfulness.

Her stomach rumbling, the young Haruno sat down at the table, intent on eating her fill of food that she had missed for the better part of a day.

X—X—X—X—X

About half an hour later, and after half a loaf of bread, Sakura no longer felt like heading back to bed, The Chuunin instead heading upstairs to change her clothes before walking out the door and into the streets of Konoha.

Dressed in a white tank top that revealed her belly button and a short pink skirt that allowed her all the freedom she would need, Sakura took a long and slow route through the streets towards the one destination she had in mind, taking in the changes that had come about Konoha, the smells and sounds that she had missed so much during her travels.

Konoha had changed very little, she realized, instead of growing wide, it had instead grown higher, the buildings rising. The roads were still easy, the numbers of people though slightly more than earlier still not as much as some of the greater cities she had been to. The buildings were also not as clumped and cramped as she had thought it would be, the buildings distributed evenly and at a good distance from each other.

Her favorite sushi store was still there, the memories of her first time having sushi, the moment she fell in love with that dish coming back to her mind, a smile gracing her face as she walked past it.

A few turns later, she came across the now much larger Ichiraku Ramen, her mouth agape as she looked at what had once been a simple ramen bar and was now a fully fledged restaurant.

"You going in?" came a voice and Sakura turned around slightly to see Shikamaru walk up to her.

"No. I'm quite full." She said, curious as to why Shikamaru had asked her that in the first place.

"Good." Said Shikamaru, stopping next to her, his hands tucked into his pockets as always.

"Hokage-sama is looking for you." He finished, not once looking her over like most guys would.

Instead the pineapple haired boy just stared at the sky for a second before turning around to walk away now that his job was done.

"That's all?" asked Sakura, an eyebrow raised at Shikamaru's antics.

"It would be too troublesome to explain to the Hokage why you were delayed." He said, one little glance over his shoulder, letting her know that she was the intended recipient of his sentence.

His gaze once again returned to the sky as he walked away, effectively ending the conversation they were having if indeed it could be called one.

Haruno Sakura shook her head, a smile gracing her lips as she jumped up to the rooftops, her now long hair bouncing up and down as she ran, her objective the tall building in front of her.

If it had been anyone else she would have considered them rude, but it had given her a sense of reassurance to see how little Shikamaru had changed. It was good, she decided. It let her know that she hadn't come home to be a stranger after only two years away.

X—X—X—X—X

The entrance into the Hokage tower was smoother than she expected, both Kotetsu and Izumo letting her pass with a smile and a nod. Sakura was amazed at how fast she had managed to go in, slightly wondering why both of the nin standing guard hadn't asked her any questions regarding Naruto, of whom both of the Jounin were quite fond of.

The sighting of Kakashi on the stair steps answered her question for her.

"Am I that late?" she asked as she stepped up to Kakashi who smiled at her, his lone visible eye curving up as he did.

"No." he replied, shaking his head. "She's just excited to see you."

The reply made Sakura smile as well, the two nin walking towards the Hokage office, Kakashi holding the door open for his student to enter. It seemed very much like the Tsunade they had brought back to be that impatient.

"Welcome back." Came Tsunade's voice as the Hokage turned away from the window to gaze upon one of her ninja she had not seen for years.

"It's good to be back." Sakura replied, the changes that had occurred in the girl now very visible to Tsunade as the younger Kunoichi walked closer.

There was not much one would notice unless they had known her very well earlier. The girl had retained most if not all of her facial features, and though not very noticeable, had grown a few inches taller too.

Her body was leaner, her muscles toned, the strength in them evident, though it was well hidden behind the femininity that Sakura had maintained. The grace and ease with which the girl moved showing the Hokage that she had the confidence to back that strength up.

Tsunade was happy to see that though Sakura had grown muscles, she still looked as feminine as any other Kunoichi. The clothes Sakura wore accentuated her curves, the short skirt showing a lot of leg, even though they were wrapped in bandages. The tank top was a statement, Tsunade knew. The flat skin of her stomach and the small of her back would distract many a man, and even those slight seconds could be used to the Kunoichis advantage.

Tsunade smiled to herself, noting that not all shinobi would spot the strength and power that Sakura had, mistaking the grace for actual weakness. She found herself wondering what sort of arsenal lay hidden up the girl's sleeve when Shizune walked in to the office.

"So, how long are you here for Sakura-chan?" asked the aide cheerfully, curious as to how long Sakura intended to stay and also wondering if Naruto would come to pick her up.

"With your permission, Hokage-sama, I'd like to re-enter the village with the completion of my mission." Said Sakura, her eyes fixed on Tsunade.

The statement drew not only the questioning gaze of Tsunade, but also a surprised look from Kakashi.

Haruno Sakura couldn't help but smile as she produced a very small scroll from her pouch, placing it on the Hokage's desk, unsealing it all the while imagining what kind of reaction she would get in seconds.

X—X—X—X—X

Senju Tsunade sat in the council chambers, a mixture of emotions running through her.

In front of her sat a very patient Hyuuga Hiashi, Yamanaka Inoichi as well as an ever lazy Nara Shikaku.

Staring at the Nara Clan Head, Tsunade could now understand where Shikamaru got his laziness from, though she had to physically restrain herself from getting a blood sample to test if it was a genetic condition shared by all males of their clan.

The council chamber doors opened as Akimichi Choza and Inuzuka Tsume walked in, both of them seemingly curious as to why they had been summoned out of the blue.

"Now that we're all here, I assume that this is about the return of Haruno Sakura?" asked Shikaku, knowing fully well that Aburame Shibi was on a mission and unavailable, his eyes still staring out the window though his hands were now together, providing support for his chin.

Tsunade had expected Shikaku to catch on, and in fact had depended on it to help along what she had called this Shinobi Council meeting for.

"Is it about Uzumaki?" asked Hiashi, straight forward as ever.

Tsunade shook her head.

"No." she said, unrolling the scroll Sakura had given her not too long ago. "Our meeting today, involves this."

She said as she unsealed the item contained in it, the heads of the clans giving her the very same reaction that both Tsunade and Kakashi had given Sakura.

X—X—X—X—X

"Is it real?" asked Inoichi as he looked at the head that stood in front of him, still bleeding onto the table.

Inuzuka Tsume took a sniff of the air, the odor of blood hitting her acute sense of smell.

"It smells real." Said Tsume, her voice nasal as she pinched her nostrils shut in an effort to keep out the very strong odor.

"It is very real." Said Tsunade, "I've even done DNA tests on it. The blood is his as well as the tissue from the head."

"The chakra pathways to the eyes are genuine as well." Noted Hiashi, a hand seal deactivating his Byakugan as he sat back in his seat again, happy with what he saw.

"What happens now?" asked Shikaku, his mind going through different scenarios of what could happen next as he stared at the head of Uchiha Sasuke, the still activated Sharingan proving to the Shinobi Council that it was indeed an Uchiha head that lay in front of them.

"Announce it to the village." said Tsume, pride evident in her voice. "The commoners should know about the death of one of their traitors."

"No." said Tsunade. "We can't forget that there is one more Uchiha out there and that Itachi let Sasuke survive for a reason. To announce it would be to draw a target on Sakura's forehead. Remember, she is not with Jiraiya anymore."

"I agree." Said Tsume, the grin on her face very nearly equaling Naruto's when he was up to something mischievous.

"I say we announce the Uchiha's death and not who turned it in. Maybe it will send Itachi after Orochimaru."

Nara Shikaku chuckled at the idea.

"Might work." He said. "Besides it would give the ninja forces such a boost to know that one of their missing-nin have been killed."

"Alright," gave in Tsunade, knowing without a shade of doubt that the council would not object to giving Naruto and Sakura the bounty.

"I'll announce it early tomorrow. At least now we know for sure why Orochimaru sent Kushina to Konoha." continued Tsunade, mentally shaking her head as she realized revenge was something she would have expected Orochimaru to take.

"And now that his tactic has failed, what do you think he will do next?" asked Inoichi, bringing them to a topic that Tsunade had known she wouldn't be able to avoid.

Though he had remained quiet for most of the meeting, it was then that Hiashi decided to speak out, holding true to his clans belief in being straight to the point.

"Whatever he does, we need to plan for it."

There was no questioning of whether Orochimaru would even do something, all of the members in the council knowing for a fact that the Snake Sannin would now go to any lengths to destroy the village he had once served.

The Hokage sighed. Council meetings, though it was the Shinobi Council alone, were never short and it seemed like this would be a long one too.

X—X—X—X—X

Time seemed to fly past for Sakura as she wrote up all the paperwork needed for her mission, finally understanding the troublesome work that Kakashi had to go through every single day when he had led her team and gaining a new found admiration for putting up with it for as long as he had to.

By the time she was done, her body was sore and her stomach was rumbling. Mind numb, Sakura had handed in the paperwork before she had exited the Hokage's office, her feet taking her into the streets without aim.

It was during this aimless wandering that she met Ino, the blonde's call of "Sakura" bringing her back to reality.

Haruno Sakura smiled as she waved back at Ino who jogged over, a smile spread over her face.

"Where are you going?" asked Ino, looking around her, trying to figure out what Sakura was doing in this particular part of the village.

"Got someone important in this neighborhood?" teased the blonde, winking at her best friend,

"Please." Sakura scoffed in a high and mighty manner. "You know I'm taken."

Sakura added her own wink at the end of her statement causing Ino's eyes to widen while imagining the juicy gossip she would be able to hear from the girl in front of her.

"How about we grab something to eat?" said the Yamanaka, eager to find out what bits of information the other female was willing to divulge.

Sakura nodded and smiled, fully knowing what lay in store for her as she let herself be dragged into a restaurant for dinner. Yet the meal sounded like a good idea and it also seemed like a good chance to catch up with one of the very few people she had actually missed over the past two years.

X—X—X—X—X

The door bells to the restaurant chimed, the noise interrupting the flow of questions Ino had going for her. Sakura on the other hand was thankful for the brief respite she had gotten, looking over to the door to see who had come in, Ino turning towards it as well.

Though it was someone that neither of them knew, the break in conversation made it obvious to Sakura how big a gap the past two years had opened up between them.

"What's it like to be an ANBU trainee?" asked Sakura, her eyes back onto her blonde friend, curious as to what it felt like to be one of the elite in training, half trying to salvage the conversation that had been interrupted.

"It's tough." Said Ino. "It's really demanding physically, they have standards so high that you need to be borderline Jounin before you can even qualify, not to mention the emotional pressure as well as the psychological toughness you're supposed to have."

For once in a long time, Ino let the fatigue show, the tiredness in her eyes as well as how her body slumped telling Sakura how taxing it truly was.

"Why are you trying out then?" asked Sakura, curious as to why Ino was training to be an ANBU member even though it was taking such a toll on her.

"I won't lie to you." She said, a heavy sigh escaping Ino's lips as she admitted something she never thought she would. "But to see you grow so strong so quickly, made me jealous and it also made me realize that I had been neglecting my training for some stuck up jerk."

"Once the Chuunin exam ended and you left, I knew that I would need a similar aggressive training schedule if I were to catch up."

There was a bit of silence as Sakura gave Ino the opportunity to continue if she wanted to, not quite sure if the blonde was done with her explanation.

"Can't let you have all the glory to yourself." Ino added with a smile before she took her turn asking Sakura a question.

"Tell me about your past two years. I want to know how you got so strong that you could kick the asses of four ANBU trainees and a fully fledged ANBU member all by yourself."

Sakura laughed at Ino's words. You could always trust Ino to make light of getting her ass kicked, though maybe some of that light had to do with the fact that it was Sakura who had kicked the teams ass.

"The scroll you sent me with the Shintenshin helped a lot." Said Sakura, a bright grin on her face. "It really cut the handicap of being just a two man cell down."

"So that was her, was it?" whistled Ino, recalling the conversation they had had long ago about Sakura's inner voice.

Sakura nodded, thanking her boyfriend silently for giving her the idea in the first place.

'Apart from the combination of the Mokubunshin and the Shintenshin, Me and Naruto-kun didn't spend as much time learning jutsu as you think we did."

"Most of the time that we got was spent with me trying to master my Mokuton chakra and him trying to control the Kyuubi chakra."

"Wasn't what it looked like when we found out it was you that we lost to." Quipped Ino. "Somehow I would have felt better losing to an Akatsuki nin, though I may not have lived to tell the tale."

Sakura laughed again, smiling as the waitress brought both of them their dinner.

"If anything we got a lot of physical and chakra training while we were with Jiraiya-sama." Said Sakura, which was indeed true. The times that they had spent on the move as well as the times they had spent running and fighting had given both Naruto as well as herself a lot of physical training as well as battle experience.

Sakura had to say that it did come in handy more than once in a while.

"So what's next for you? ANBU? They'd let you in with the skill you've shown." Asked Ino.

Sakura shook her head, a mischievous glint appearing in her eyes, her brain trying to come up with what reaction her blonde friend would give her once she told her.

"I got Tsunade-sama to agree to take me on as her apprentice."

Haruno Sakura could barely stifle her laughter as a yell of "No way!" rang through the restaurant, the reaction she had managed to get from her best friend surpassing even her expectations.

X—X—X—X—X

The picture was old, one of the very few he owned and one of his most treasured possessions as well. The picture was the one they had taken the day he had passed both Naruto and Sakura, taking them both under his wing as the first two man cell in Konoha and the memories of what they had been through together brought tears to his eyes.

In retrospect, Kakashi realized that these were the very first tears of happiness that he had shed in this particular cave, far below the earth, the cave where Kakashi's memorial for his father was.

The very first tears he had shed here had been for his father, who had committed seppuku after falling into depression.

Kakashi had assumed, wrongly, now that he understood, that Hatake Sakumo had committed seppuku for failing the mission. No, it had been the shame that had killed him. The fact that Sakumo was no longer the man he had been, and the fact that the village shunned him for failing a mission for the better of his team had gotten to his father.

Kakashi understood now. Yet at what cost? He had assumed, and abided by the rules and nothing else. At least until the death of one of his team mates.

Obito.

It had taken that one death to show Kakashi the faults in his own way. Yet that one life had been precious to him.

Kakashi wondered if he ever would forget Obito. Never, he decided, one hand placing itself over the eye Obito had gifted him before he had died. A second precious person, this one though, had died protecting him and his team mate Rin. Obito, had died protecting his precious people, as had the third person who had died.

It had been a few years later, but Kakashi would never forget the day his sensei, the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato had died.

This was the only death he realized he properly understood. In Obito's case, Kakashi found himself wondering why it couldn't have been him, yet when his sensei had died sealing the Kyuubi, Kakashi knew that no other could have accomplished such a feat nor made such a sacrifice for the village.

It filled his chest with pride to be able to say that he was the student of the Yellow Flash of Konoha, the person who had managed to seal the mighty Kyuubi no Kitsune. He was proud to say he was the son of the White Fang, yet he knew that not many people would know of him now, and if they did, it would mostly be the people who feared him.

Yet today, today, Kakashi could add two more names to the list of people who made him proud. His only two students, who had never and could never make him regret the request he made to train them as a two man cell had made him prouder than anyone else.

They had made him proud through their very first few months as a team, taking their training to another level, knowing that being a two man cell would be hard yet working to make it a reality. Their first mission with the rebels through to their fights with Zabuza and his missing nin, to the Chuunin exams and through the invasion. From earning their Chuunin vests and now, the return of one of them, stronger than ever made him prouder than before.

Kakashi looked at his untouched bottle of sake, deciding that for once he wouldn't drink himself into a stupor. He needed to be ready for tomorrows spar against Sakura. She would be no easy fight, he realized as he stood up and walked towards the entrance.

Hatake Kakashi entered his room and collapsed on to his bed, his body seeking as much rest as it could get, his mind eagerly anticipating the spar that he was to have with his student, one of the only two nin that could claim they had defeated one of the two living Uchiha.

Uchiha, thought Kakashi as he realized he'd need to come up with a totally new strategy against Sakura. After all, It had been only today that she had turned in the still bleeding head of Uchiha Sasuke, both eyes still open, both three tomoed Sharingan still active.

X—X—X—X—X

It had taken only ten minutes for Sakura to get home and that ten minutes was all it took for her to realize that Ino had been right and that her mother was at home waiting for her.

There were little words spoken, both mother and daughter embracing each other tightly as soon as they saw each other.

Tears streamed from both their eyes, Sayaki happy that her one and only baby was safe and sound, Sakura happy that she was able to see her mother once again.

"How long are you here for?" asked Sayaki, hoping that Sakura would stay a while.

"I came back." Said Sakura, finally letting go of her mother and looking into the face she had missed the most, smiling at the person who had taken care of her for most of her life.

Sayaki smiled, happy that she would no longer have to spend as long a period without seeing her daughter and worrying about her. It had been harder than she had imagined, to be so far away from Sakura and that too without any form of contact whatsoever.

They hadn't even sent letters, not even via summons for Jiraiya had deemed it too risky. The Toad Sannin didn't want to attract attention until he felt Naruto was capable of standing up to literally any threat that might come forward.

"Naruto-kun?" Sayaki asked, remembering the strong and bright boy Sakura had left with.

Sakura's face fell for the first time since she had come to Konoha, the thought of spending a year without him saddening her.

"He still has one more year." She said, catching a glimpse of the reassuring smile Sayaki gave her.

"I'm sure he'll be fine Sakura-chan." Said the mother. "Naruto-kun's always been a strong boy."

Sakura laughed at the statement, smiling at the thought of the boy she had grown to love, and never regretted doing so. Her mother was right. Naruto was strong. In fact, Sakura could rarely remember a time when he hadn't been strong, be it for himself or for someone else. He had always had faith in her and she decided that it would be best if she also had the same faith in him.

The mother and daughter pair stayed up into the night, the both of them talking about the two years spent apart, neither of them wanting to leave the other to go and sleep even though the both of them had an early day ahead.

Haruno Sayaki smiled at the sleeping form of her daughter half an hour later, knowing that the chakra exhaustion had played a part in Sakura falling asleep on the couch.

The elder Haruno kissed Sakura on the forehead, smiling again as she recalled the last time she had done that, the day that she had gotten home from the second part of the Chuunin exams with the news of her newfound boyfriend.

X—X—X—X—X

The next morning came earlier than Sakura had ever expected, yet she met it with an energy born from looking forward to the day's events.

A quick yet filling breakfast was first in order before she left the house, her thoughts going to what lay in store for her over the year.

She was due at the Hokage's office in an hour, to discuss the year ahead, specifically how she would be training and what times she would have free, which she assumed she would have very little.

Being a medic nin was hard work. A normal nin would require years of training, a minimum of one in the knowledge of the human anatomy before they could even move to healing jutsu. And Sakura knew that those healing jutsu were only the tip of the iceberg.

She would have to spend more time learning the poisons, their antidotes and as well as how to minimize their effect until she could create an antidote.

She would also have to learn the surgical side of medical jutsu, to be able to perform frontline surgery, both minimal as well as extensive ones with whatever resources she had at the time.

And if she chose to add combat medical jutsu to the list of things she wanted to learn, that would add more time that she needed in order to be fully prepared.

But then again, Sakura was no ordinary nin. Even as a genin she had started learning the anatomy of the body, though she wasn't a master in it Sakura considered her better off than most of the nin she knew, save for those who actually were medic nin. And to add to that, she knew a few medical jutsu that she had picked up from her mother as well as from people she had met on her travels.

Even with all of this experience, Sakura doubted that she was even half way through the training that would be needed and couldn't help but wonder if the year she had was enough to become even adequately trained as a medic nin.

Her train of thought, as many others, went out the window as her instincts kicked in, her legs propelling her away from a pair of incoming shuriken, her kunai coming out to barely block Kakashi's as it undoubtedly sped for her throat.

"Kakashi-sensei?" asked a puzzled Sakura as the Jounin jumped away to stand in front of her.

"Good to see that your reflexes have gotten better, Sakura." Said Kakashi, his spare hand coming out of his kunai pouch, the nin now holding two kunai instead of one.

"This is not the time for a spar, Kakashi-sensei." Said Sakura as she slipped into a more defensive stance, fully aware that Kakashi was intent on fighting her.

"I have a meeting with Tsunade-sama in a little while."

"Then you better finish this quick." Said Kakashi, flashing her his usual smile before vanishing into thin air, a fog slowly covering the training ground she found herself in.

_You're taking this seriously aren't you? _Sakura mentally asked Kakashi before preparing herself, her determination set in stone.

_Alright fine. Let's do this._

X—X—X—X—X

Sorry for the cliffhanger, but my original plan for this chapter, seems like its too big for just one… and therefore, will continue in the next.

As for now… REVIIEW!

Please?


	36. Chapter 36

**First of all, I'd like to say sorry, you know, for leaving you guys hanging for what? 6 months? **

**Gonna give no excuses, though I am really glad to see that you're sticking with me, in this.**

**Secondly, another sorry, coz I'm starting this chapter off, slightly, in a different way. Couldn't manage to get anything else to work. Guess we'll see how it goes.**

**And, to my horror, I've actually read what I've written, over the past THREE YEARS (can you even believe it?) and am ashamed to read the first few chapters of this very fic. Yes, you may go back and laugh and notice how much my writing has actually changed. **

**Again, couldn't have done it without you guys. So thank you, thank you loads.**

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 36:-

Senju Tsunade sat in the Hokage's chair, the very same chair that she had sat in for the past two plus years and for once in a long, long time, found that she had no clue on how to begin the conversation that she so needed to have with the teenager in front of her. Instead, the Godaime Hokage of Konoha found her mind awash with questions, her mind flitting from one thought to another, never settling on one long enough for her to pursue that particular thread.

The Yondaime look-a-like that stood next to Sakura only seemed to make things worse, the similarity so surprising that Tsunade could rarely manage a moment without pausing to glance at him, half trying to make sure it was really him and not some Edo Tensei clone Orochimaru had sent back from the grave.

Senju Tsunade suppressed an urge to curse out loud, knowing that she should be stronger and more mentally prepared for this than she was right now.

"Tsunade-sama?" came Sakura's voice, breaking the Godaime out of her reverie as Shan wondered what was going on and why Tsunade seemed so out of norm.

"Sakura-chan, maybe you should get your, friend, to change how he looks while he stays in the village. It may, cause a few problems within the village, after all, the Yondaime is dead." Interrupted Shizune, her face buried in the paperwork that she had piled up on her desk.

The stress on the word friend hadn't escaped Sakura nor the Yondaime clone, both of them immediately realizing that the way he looked actually bothered people apart from the fear it put into their enemies.

Tsunade sighed audibly as the Yondaime look-alike put his hands together in a seal, activating a henge that made her look like a miniature version of Sakura instead of Jiraiya's beloved Minato.

Though it wasn't as good as Tsunade had hoped, it did make things a lot easier for her than it already was.

"Gomen, Hokage-sama." Said the chibi Sakura, in a voice that was clearly her own, bringing to light the fact that Shan was her own person from Sakura, and clearly female, though she liked looking male.

"I had no clue that my former appearance bothered you as much as it did. And please call me Shan."

Tsunade nodded to the smaller girl, her mind now whirling through her thoughts, finally deciding that she better begin what she had summoned the girl for.

"Tell me what you know about being a medic." Said Tsunade as she leant back in her seat, fully focused on the girl in front of her, her mind digesting the information Sakura gave her, trying to find out where to start her apprentice on her path to being a medic.

Whatever other information she needed or wanted, could wait to be gotten throughout the year Tsunade had Sakura in the village and an year, was enough time by Tsunade's standards.

X—X—X—X—X

Jiraiya of the Sannin stood in a clear field, a clear night sky above him, the stars glimmering as he prepared himself to travel halfway across the five elemental nations.

Uzumaki Naruto, now his only charge, was somewhere in a village not far from where he was, unmonitored and unsafe for the most part of the past day, and he would be yet again, until Jiraiya made it back from Konoha.

Biting his fingers, Jiraiya made the handseals required for the summoning technique. No matter how much he disliked leaving Naruto alone for long periods of time in a day, it had to be done, specially on days like this, when he needed to put other things in motion.

"Jiraiya-chan." Came an old and wizened voice, the small form of Fukasaku appearing as the smoke of the summons cleared to reveal both Shima and Fukasaku.

"Why have you summoned us here?" asked Shima, looking around her. "Where is Naruto-kun?"

"He's in the village five minutes to the west of here." Said Jiraiya. "As for why I summoned you, I need to meet Tsunade very urgently."

"You want to use the Enshinsui." Stated Fukasaku, to which all Jiraiya could do was nod.

"What could be so important that you would have to use that?" asked Shima, her voice clear yet the worry evident.

"The fate of the entire world." Said Jiraiya, his words full of belief, for he did indeed believe that it would be the entire world he was trying to save.

"Will he be safe alone?" asked the toad, the worry towards the young boy still evident in the summons' voice.

"The gaki is stronger than you think." Said Jiraiya with a smile. "He can handle himself."

"And in case he can't, I want one of you to stay here, and reverse summon me if he needs help."

"I don't like this at all Jiraiya-chan." Said Fukasaku. "It's too risky."

"Best just get this over with as soon as possible Pa. The sooner you take him there, the sooner he can come back and the sooner the both of us can rest peacefully." Said his wife as she took off towards the town.

Fukasaku allowed himself one single sigh as he dismissed himself, the puff of smoke bringing him back to Myobokuzan just like it was supposed to.

His lips were moving the very moment his vision cleared and he was sure he was in the right place, the words "Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu." Echoing as he reverse summoned Jiraiya to the mountain.

"Jiraiya-chan" he spoke as the puff of smoke cleared, hoping that as one of his students, the Sannin would pause to listen to some sort of sense.

The Sannin, however, was off the moment his feet touched the mountain, jumping into the Enshinsui, and straight into Konoha, the thoughts going on in his head obviously more important than any common sense at this very moment.

Fukasaku sighed once again, his thoughts going to his wife and the boy she was watching over. He only hoped that nothing serious would happen that would require her to reverse summon Jiraiya to wherever she was.

X—X—X—X—X

Nara Shikaku sat in the council chambers, along with the rest of the Shinobi Council as he waited for the Godaime Hokage. The council had been waiting for the better part of half an hour, yet more than Hiashi who had proper clan matters to address, it was Inuzuka Tsume that was getting itchy as the time went by, and for once, Shikaku couldn't blame her.

Inuzuka Tsume, as any of the Inuzuka clan, shared a lot of traits with their canine partners, including their hatred of small enclosed places and their joy of always being on the move. But as generations passed, both the canine partners as well as the human counterparts had learned to be more patient as well as to tolerate the rooms and the buildings that they were supposed to enter.

However, Shikaku really doubted that it was this need of open air that was making Tsume cranky.

The door to the council chambers opened, the cloaked figure of the Godaime Hokage walking in followed by Kakashi, whose appearance answered a lot of questions as to why the meeting was held up.

"So, what do you think?" asked the Godaime as she sat down at the head of the table, Kakashi taking his usual standing position in the nearest corner behind her, his ever present book in his hand.

Shikaku had known Kakashi for as long as anybody and though he might have looked occupied and lost in the book, Shikaku knew that Kakashi's attention was on everything BUT his book.

"Impressive." Was the only word that came from Hiashi's mouth, much like the old, though it felt like he was trying not to praise Sakura's performance as much as he wanted to.

"It's either very impressive or we need to lift the standard of our ANBU." Scoffed Tsunade, gathering a few chuckles from her audience.

"There would be no harm in doing that, regardless." Stated Shikaku.

Though it was meant as a joke, the lifting of their ANBU standards was actually a very good idea, in his opinion. Not only would it ensure higher success rates for ANBU missions, it would also make their new Shinobi train even harder if they wanted to become one of the elite ANBU of their village. There was no such as too much motivation.

"I will." Stated Tsunade, clearly disappointed as to how Sakura along with that clone of hers took apart a whole squad of ANBU. "If this is how a Chuunin deals with our ANBU, we clearly need to strengthen it."

"With all due respect Godaime-sama, this Chuunin you speak of was trained by a Sannin." Interrupted Choza.

"And if you recall, the Sannin were also beaten by Hanzo, all by himself." Stated Hiashi. "We should always assume that the other villages are capable of having such talent in their ranks as well."

"Danzo would be having a ball if he could hear us right now." Said Tsunade, her head in her hands. "But Hiashi does have a point, and we will raise our standards, not only for ANBU, but for Chuunin and Jounin as well."

"Maybe the ANBU were taking it easy because she's just a chuunin." Said Tsume, a chuckle echoing through her throat, obviously in no way trying to protect the ANBU but rather pointing out something that could have, but shouldn't have happened.

"If it had been a Chuunin of any other village with that skill level, they would have been dead." Said Kakashi, calmly as ever, flipping a page of his book.

"Maybe they should be." Sighed Tsunade as she thought up a way to raise the standards of a shinobi village without announcing why.

Not only would an announcement of the reason cause disgrace to the ANBU but it would also tell the other villages about the level of their current ANBU. The last thing the Hokage wanted to do was to give some upstart bandit group or village to try something bold against them.

"Is there any way that we can have that clone technique of hers taught?" asked Tsume as she recalled watching the newly returned Chuunin and her partner take apart a full strength ANBU squad.

"Would be a good raise in the standards." She added with another chuckle, making light of the situation.

"Unfortunately, no." said Inoichi, one of the few who actually knew the full details of Sakura's partner.

"What Sakura uses is a mix of a Mokubunshin and the Shintenshin no Jutsu, which no ordinary Shinobi can pull off."

"Shintenshin?" echoed Hiashi, curious as to how someone outside the Yamanaka clan knew a Yamanaka jutsu.

"Sakura has a unique condition." Explained Inoichi. "She has a second personality, strong willed yet somehow able to function on its own."

"A split personality?" asked Tsume, wondering if this condition would be a liability to Konoha later on.

"Not really." Responded Inoichi, trying to figure out a way to explain it so that the whole of the council would understand.

"Think of it like how Naruto-kun has the Kyuubi." He said, drawing a mental image of how the same body would have two minds, yet only one that was fully in control of it.

"Now imagine if Naruto-kun could transmit the Kyuubi's conscience into a shadow clone and allow the Kyuubi full access to the chakra the shadow clone contained.

" As for how Sakura knows the Jutsu, I believe Ino taught her." Added Inochi as he rubbed his forehead, slightly embarrassed at the leaked clan technique, however, all of the Shinobi council had at least one child in the same batch, and as such knew how close Sakura and Ino were.

The trust in a best friend wasn't light, Hiashi of all people knew, Minato once again popping into his mind.

"The Kyuubi would have all the physical aspects of a shadow clone, including Naruto's speed and strength, and in addition, with having its own spiritual chakra, would not have the weakness of being dispelled by the invasion of foreign chakra." Finished Shikaku, half in awe at the genius of the combination of techniques Sakura had not only come up with but also managed to implement.

"So, what we have is a Mokubunshin, by far the strongest clone with the largest chakra capacity, who has its own will, own fighting style and is unaffected by the separation between it and its user." Stated Kakashi.

"Add to that the fact that the clone is virtually immune to the Jyuuken and that Sakura has a larger chakra reserve than a normal kunoichi, we have an almost unstoppable technique." Added Tsunade, wondering how Konoha managed to create such talent out of the most ordinary of people.

"So, with that performance, and the raise of standards, is it safe to say that Sakura will still be Jounin by the end of the day?" Asked Shikaku, curious as to what the 'small' test today was about.

"She has the skill." Said Tsume, nodding as she digested all the information she had learnt about Sakura's new technique.

"She has the mentality too." Added Inoichi, "A fast and strategic mind that allows her to think in close tight encounters."

"If anyone doubts her field experience, she did also bring us the head of Uchiha Sasuke." Put in Choza.

"At the very least, she can be given the Tokubetsu status for that clone of hers." Said Hiashi with a smile, knowing that the odds were stacking up in favor of the promotion.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Sakura deserves the Jounin status, however, with Shizune pointing it out, I also fear that it might stop her from training any further, since she doesn't have any more statuses to train for."

"There's always Sannin to look forward to." Spoke Kakashi, his face still buried inside his book.

"Explain." Said Tsunade, curious as to where the genius was going with that thread of thought.

"Team 7 started off with Sakura, Naruto and one Uchiha Sasuke." Said Kakashi, his lone eye still going over the lines of his book as though he was reading from it.

"Naruto has Jiraiya and the Toad contract, while Sasuke had Orochimaru and according to the mission report from Sakura, he also had the snake summoning contract."

There was a slight pause as Kakashi let the information sink, taking in another breath as he continued his train of thought.

"Sakura, just started training under you."

"Give her the summoning contract, and both Sakura as well as Naruto will have the titles as the second Generation Sannin to try and achieve." Caught on Shikaku, wondering why he hadn't thought of that earlier.

"Impressive." Said Tsunade as she eyed Kakashi in a new found light. Tsunade had heard of Kakashi's prowess as a ninja as well as his status as a genius amongst the Shinobi of his age, but with her wandering about the lands, she had never really gotten to see Kakashi at work. And Tsunade could see how interesting it was to see the lazy silver haired jounin pull out the most ingenious of ideas and plans time and time again.

"Now that we have solved that problem, anyone have any objections to Haruno Sakura's promotion?" asked Tsunade, looking at each and every council member present to make sure.

Since there were no hands raised, showing that no one wanted to speak nor raise an objection, Senju Tsunade checked one box off her mental checklist for that day's meeting before she spoke.

"Okay, moving on. About this year's Chuunin Exams, what are your opinions of us participating?"

X—X—X—X—X

To say that Yamanaka Ino was having the worst day of her life, would be an understatement.

To start off things, it was her day off.

Secondly, no one else had the day off, which meant that she had no one to spend it with.

That meant that Ino, having nothing to do, had literally no excuse from avoiding her shift at the clans flower shop.

And worst of all, if it was even possible, there had been no customers at all that day.

Grumbling to no one in particular, Ino swore that the heavens had something against her as she tended to the flowers in the back garden, trying to find something to occupy herself as the time slowly crept away.

"Kami, give me something to do!" she said, her eyes gazing skywards in a prayer so desperate that she leaped in joy as the door bell to the shop chimed.

Almost running through the back door, Ino was about to give whoever that came in the best greeting ever when she caught the eye of her best friend, who in return gave Ino a look that said, "We need to talk, now, in private."

"What's wrong?" Asked Ino as she led Sakura into the back garden, her mind suddenly taken off the very boring day she was having.

"I need a new look." Said Sakura, in a voice that was not quite Sakura, raising a few questions that were soon answered.

"Shizune-san says I can't go around looking like the Yondaime, and I obviously can't go around looking like Sakura."

"She's right." Said Ino, as the pieces fell into place, finally realizing that this was not Sakura, but Shan.

"I can imagine a few people you'd freak out if you looked like the Yondaime. You know, the dead rising from the grave and all of that."

"Baka looks like him anyways." Stated Shan, grumbling at the similarity between him and the Yondaime, but then again, they had to be similar with the connection they had between them.

"You mean YOUR baka." Teased Ino, getting a glare from Shan.

Though Shan shared Sakura's love for Naruto for obvious reasons, as always Shan considered herself the bolder and tougher side of Sakura.

Love, was for the more feminine Sakura, Shan had decided long ago. Besides love gave Shan lesser of a rush than fights did, and she absolutely reveled in them.

Fighting, that's what she had been made for, and Shan had decided, that fighting was what she was going to do. Everything else, was Sakura's responsibility, and Shan would only give her a helping hand if she needed it.

"I swear though, if the Yondaime were alive, I'd swear that Naruto was his son." The blonde continued, mentally comparing what Naruto looked like and the pictures of the Yellow Flash she had seen.

"He is." Replied Shan, an awkward look appearing on her face as if she found it hard to believe that Ino didn't know.

The pin drop silence that came before Ino's scream of "What?" lasted only a fraction of the second, the outburst that followed it causing Shan to give Ino another of Sakura's famous looks.

"Why didn't you tell me this before!" wailed Ino, shocked at the revelation that was made.

"Ino, the Yondaime is the sole reason for Iwa's loss in the Third Great War, imagine how many people would have hunted Naruto-kun if they knew."

Yamanaka Ino's eyes widened as the majority of such an announcement hit her.

The Yondaime had died sealing the Kyuubi, which had left Naruto an orphan. Had his heritage been announced, there would have been no one around to protect him from an of the attacks that would surely have come.

"And YOU are keeping this to yourself." Shan added, throwing in one of her dagger glares for emphasis.

"Okay okay." Conceded Ino, waving her hands in front of her, clearing her head as she turned her focus to what her friend had come to her for.

"So you say you need an identity. What exactly are we looking for?"

"Female, definitely." Said Shan, pausing to think about what she would like to look like.

"Something similar to what Sakura wears, sort of a twin thing." She said finally.

Shan had originally intended to pull off a polar opposite image alongside Sakura, but on her way to the Yamanaka Flower shop, the inner persona had realized that Sakura actually presented a very balanced image, feminine yet still showed off the strength she possessed.

Being as balanced as it was, there would be no polar opposite to it, unless Shan pulled off having no image.

"I won't be out for long periods of time and not as often as I would like." Said Shan. "But when I am, I'd like to avoid causing confusion within our own ranks."

Ino nodded as she mused, thinking about something that would go well with what Sakura looked like, yet not make Shan look menacing. Shan needed to look something less threatening than Sakura did, INo realized as she thought about it, something that would make people underestimate Shan and walk right into the brutal trap the girl was.

"Let's start with your hair color and then move on to other things." Said the Yamanaka, the only one out of their batch that Shan could honestly call a Fashionista and good with creating an image.

With a sigh, Shan started to answer the barrage of questions Ino threw at her, knowing that she needed to get this done, and the sooner it was done and over with, the better it would be for both Sakura as well as herself.

X—X—X—X—X

Nara Shikamaru had originally had his day off as well, which he had also originally planned on spending with Ino, who was the only one of his old team that had this exact day of like he had.

Though too troublesome to admit, Shikamaru did miss his old Ino-Shika-Cho trio, but with Ino being an ANBU trainee, Shikamaru and Chouji both busy with their Jounin teams.

As things had turned out, his father had been called to a council meeting and Shikamaru had had to take over Shikaku's duties in the tactical division of the Hokage Tower.

It had all started when Asuma had given him an IQ test in the form of a shogi game and had turned worse the moment he had done well. His Chuunin exam performance had solidified the rumors of his tactical genius, and now, with all of that done, and his scores filed in the Hokage's ninja files, Nara Shikamaru found himself assigned to the tactical division of Konoha's ninja forces.

Luckily for Shikamaru, there were no ongoing wars that Konoha was participating in and that meant that the tactical department was very much under used. However, as the son of the Head of the tactical department, Shikamaru had to oversee the mission allocation to teams in his father's absence.

Mission allocation was a tedious job, one that most people assumed the Hokage had to do, but in fact his underlings at the Tactical department did.

Mission allocation included reading the mission requests sent to the tower, at the very least, those missions that weren't requested via direct contact with the Hokage, categorizing them into ranks and then suggesting which team should be dispatched to complete it.

Once these steps had been done, the mission requests would be sent to the Hokage for approval, and once the Hokage approved or changed what she thought needed to be changed, the mission would be sent to the Shinobi Dispatch Unit who was responsible for handing out missions which the Hokage did not.

And with the work going well, Shikamaru had decided to treat himself to a nice meal from one of the restaurants nearby.

He had even better luck, he found out, once he entered the restaurant to find Hisemi and Heni sitting in one of the booths.

"Hey guys, what's up?" said Shikamaru as he walked up to their booth to find that their food had already arrived.

"Was supposed to be a team meeting, but Tane-sensei couldn't make it." Said Heni, as ever the friendlier of the two.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Said Shikamaru, knowing that Tane had been one of the Shinobi who had been assigned a mission earlier that very day.

Hisemi gave Shikamaru a slight shrug, while Heni smiled, "It's fine, after all, it's our job, right?" said the weapons specialist.

"Would you like to join us?" asked Hisemi, gesturing to an empty seat. "We have more food than we can eat."

Shikamaru stood there silent for a good minute before he sat down at the table, a gesture of thanks going out to those who were treating him.

But as the conversation started, Nara Shikamaru could not help but think that something was indeed going to go against this flow of luck.

X—X—X—X—X

The timing was perfect, thought Jiraiya with a smile as he walked towards the council chambers, the guards at the door acknowledging his right to enter as the stepped away.

The sannin didn't bother knocking, plainly opening the door and stopping whatever flow there had been to the conversation that was currently going on inside between the members.

"Jiraiya!" exclaimed Tsunade, half in surprise at seeing someone she didn't think she would see anytime soon.

"Is Naruto-kun back too?" asked Kakashi, as expected of him.

"No." replied the Sannin, his face stern and serious. "The Gaki is far, far away from the village."

A confused eye lifted itself from the pages of what it was reading and carefully watched Jiraiya as he turned towards the Godaime, wondering how and why Jiraiya had come here.

"I need to talk to you." He said, pausing slightly as he looked around the room, before he added a few words that flipped the mood of the entire meeting upside down.

"Akatsuki is on the move."

There was a slap of a book being shut, a slight rustle of it going back into its pouch at the words. Things had suddenly gotten very serious.

X—X—X—X—X

"Naruto?" was the first question Hatake Kakashi thought of asking the very moment he shut the book.

"Not yet, thankfully." Said Jiraiya. "They need to seal in the Kyuubi last, or whatever plan they have is not going to work."

"So we have time."

"No." said Jiraiya shaking her head. "We got attacked a few days ago by Itachi and Kisame. They had to withdraw. But they've obviously seen Naruto's improvement, and they've started moving early."

"What do you mean?" asked Tsume, a feeling of dread filling her as the Sannin spoke.

"They've managed to capture and seal 4 of the 9 bijuu within the last month." He said, getting a gasp from Tsume.

"Once they have the Ichibi, Hachibi, the Nibi, and the Sanbi, they'll come after Naruto, and they will come in force."

"They have 12 known members, each of them S ranked nin from across the nations. One of them, happens to be Amekage as well. The next time they come for him, they won't send just two."

"There's a loop hole in that argument though." Spoke Shikaku. "The Kyuubi has to be sealed in last, but never are they required to kidnap Naruto last."

"They wouldn't risk it." Said Jiraiya. "Whatever they are doing, it requires them to bring the Jinchuuriki back alive, and then extract the Bijuu from that person. They won't risk someone committing suicide while in capture."

Shikaku nodded in acceptance.

"We need to buy more time then, more time for me to train Naruto."

"Naruto isn't the only one we need to train is it?" asked Hiashi, all the pieces finally falling into place.

"No, you are correct. We all need to grow stronger, in case Ame comes for Naruto with it's army."

"Sorry to suggest something really bad, but if they need the Kyuubi, isn't Naruto-kun's death, a solution in itself?" asked Inoichi, voicing a statement which brought many a glare at him.

"No. We have no proof that the Kyuubi is necessary for whatever they are planning. With Naruto alive, we can at the very least be sure that they will try and acquire him." Said Shikaku.

"Okay. So we need to buy time and we need to protect Naruto. What can we do?" asked Inoichi, he himself feeling better that his suggestion was not an option.

"Protect the remaining Jinchuuriki." Said Shibi, voicing his very first words of the meeting.

"How? There is no way we know of the whereabouts of the Jinchuuriki."

"Suna has the Ichibi no Jinchuuriki, its new Kazekage." Said Tsunade. "We could have a messenger sent tomorrow, and inform them of a team arriving the day after."

"I doubt this is the time to follow protocol Hokage-sama." Cut in Hiashi of all people, showing the council that the stoic Hyuuga Clan Head had indeed changed much over the past two years.

"For all we know, the Akatsuki may attack tomorrow." He continued, stressing the urgency of this situation.

"Hokage-sama, I'd like my daughter to be included in the team." Spoke Inoichi, causing a few of the council to look at him curiously. "I can have her ready to leave as soon as this meeting is done."

Tsunade, however, understood what the man was planning.

"Agreed." She said. "The instant communication between you and Ino will help greatly if Suna were to be attacked. We could immediately send assistance."

"In that case, I think it is best for us to send the Ino-Shika-Cho trio." Came Choza's input. "After all, the three of them have been working together as a team and the familiarity should help them."

"Hiashi, with your permission, I'd also like to send a Hyuuga along with those three, their eyes always come in handy during bodyguard missions." Said Jiraiya, to which Hiashi nodded.

"I believe my nephew Hisemi is available, along with his team mate. Another pair familiar with each other's abilities would be better, would it not?"

"If you don't mind, Hokage-sama, I think I'll go look for Heni and Hisemi." Said Kakashi as he vanished with a poof, Inoichi already contacting his daughter and asking her to pack her things.

X—X—X—X—X

It had only taken the 5 Jounin an hour to pack their things and meet up at the gates.

The briefing had been given to them en route by Shikamaru whose father had explained everything to him while he'd been packing.

And as the trees passed by, each of the 5 running as fast as they could, the full importance of protecting the Kazekage settled upon the 5 of them.

Shikamaru had been told everything, including the fact that at some point in the near future, if they failed here, these very same S ranked criminals would come after Naruto, someone that all 5 in the Jounin team knew.

If not for the Kazekage, they needed to do this for Naruto and if Shikamaru's hunch was correct, they needed to do this for themselves, for the good of the world.

He just hoped Suna would be as receiving as he hoped they would be.

X—X—X—X—X

**Ugh, still not happy with the chapter… I think I'm getting rusty… though after a few corrections and additions, i think it's better than it first started out…**

**And it's becoming too long T_T**

**Sorry I'm late, once again, no excuses. Will try to update more frequently. **

**Review! Please **


	37. Chapter 37

Sabaku no Gaara wasn't happy, he understood, but he wasn't happy.

It had been a major shock for him when the team from Konoha had come to Suna, much less with a letter from the Godaime no Hokage, addressed to him.

It had given Gaara even more of a surprise when he had read the letter, and realized that instead of Konoha calling in the favor that Suna already owed them, the Godaime Hokage was actually doing Suna another favor by sending a team to protect their Kazekage.

He had to admit though, he had wanted to and was going to throw them out the front door once he found out they were a bodyguard team. However, Temari had put a stop to it, pulling him away from the team and somewhere private.

And that's exactly where he was, being ganged up on by both of his siblings, and he didn't like being ganged up on either.

"I don't like it."

"Who does?" said Temari.

"They are just trying to keep you safe." She continued, though Gaara, as Kazekage, was required to have suspicions and Temari liked the fact that he did.

"And the world." Added Kankuro, his war paint covered façade leaning against the door leading to the office where the team from Konoha stood.

More like trying to keep themselves safe, thought Gaara, but then again, by keeping him safe, and trying to keep Konoha safe, they were also in the end keeping the world safe.

"They've sent good Shinobi." Said Temari.

"We don't have to worry about them having anything against you."

"We invaded their village, Kankuro." Said Gaara.

"I meant that they wouldn't have issues with you being a Jinchuuriki."

Kankuro had a point. Many in Suna still held a grudge against Gaara, mainly for having Shukaku contained inside him. Though he had managed to get his blood thirst in control after his defeat, Gaara knew the amounts of blood his sand had soaked, the number of Suna nin he had killed, many whose families still lived and held the deaths close to their hearts. Gaara still held a grudge against his father, for sealing Shukaku in him, and he knew that for that reason alone, any number of Suna nin may still hold a grudge against him.

However, the team that had been sent by Konoha, was entirely made up of Uzumaki's friends, people who had actually accepted him as part of them and not some demon meant to be shunned.

That in itself, changed things a lot and for one, Gaara knew that he could trust them not to discriminate him at all if not indeed try and protect him even more.

It was rare that Gaara felt safe, but he felt safer with the Konoha nin, than he felt in the midst of his own Shinobi.

Sighing inwardly, Gaara nodded, his arms still crossed.

He did not like it, he understood and would agree to it, but he still didn't like it.

X—X—X—X—X

Yamanaka Ino had walked over to Shikamaru as soon as the Suna Siblings had disappeared.

"What if they reject our offer?" she had asked, considering the possibility that they might be going home as soon as they had arrived and Shikamaru couldn't blame her.

"They won't." said Shikamaru.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because they trust us."

True enough, the Suna Siblings had walked into the room moments later and Gaara had accepted their offer with adjustments of his own, ones Shikamaru had expected him to make and had planned for it anyways.

Ino switched her attention off, her mind lapsing into itself as she activated the jutsu that allowed her to telepathically speak to her father and so far, her father alone.

'_We're in.'_ She sent, a short first time sentence to gauge the amount of chakra required to transmit it.

'_Good.' _Came the reply, a little slower than she had expected.

'_Any conditions?'_

'_Kazekage would like us to share shifts with members of his ANBU.'_

'_Of course. Anything else?'_

'_No.'_

'_Keep the link active at all times.' _

Ino mentally nodded, though she was sure that there was no way he knew she did, before bringing herself back to the discussion going on in front of her.

She was just in time it seemed, as Gaara asked the Konoha delegate to follow Temari to the rooms that had been hastily prepared for them.

The Konoha nin followed Temari out of the room, a warm soft bed the only thing in their mind at that very moment, for each of them knew that the entire ball game could change at any time in the future.

X—X—X—X—X

The next day began really early for a lot of people across the Elemental Nations, one in particular for a certain pink haired Jounin in Konoha.

She had been up, much earlier than she had expected to, and part of that reason had been a certain voice in her head.

"Congratulations."

The words broke her out of her engrossed reading, the words in the medical book being committed to memory as fast as she read them.

She wasn't rushing though, she never was, and she had no need to be.

"Thank you, Inoichi-san." She replied as she lifted her face out of her book, her hand putting down the pencil that she had been using to make notes.

"How does it feel?" he asked, as he pulled a chair towards the desk she was sitting at.

"It feels weird." She said, a smile upon her face.

"All my promotions so far, have been at the same time with Naruto-kun. It feels weird that I'm Jounin and he's not."

"Only because he isn't here." Said Inoichi.

Sakura smiled at Inoichi's attempt to cheer her up. He was right though, she knew. Naruto would get his promotion as soon as he returned, it only mattered when.

"Actually, Inoichi-san, I've been meaning to talk to you." She said.

Inoichi's eyebrow lifted, a question as to what Sakura wanted from him.

"I was hoping that you had a technique." She said, pausing as if she was unsure whether she should ask.

"A technique?" egged Inoichi, pushing the still hesitant younger nin into telling him what she was looking for.

"Something that could allow me to, speak, with my 'twin' over distances." She said, in one breath, hurriedly.

Inoichi smiled.

"You feel guilty for using the Shintenshin." He stated and Sakura had the decency to blush, lowering her face.

Sakura nodded, not wanting to say anything.

"It's rare," Inoichi said. "We've tried, over many years, to teach other nin our jutsu. To see if Konoha could use the clan jutsu in a wider range than just the Yamanaka could. But it never worked."

Sakura looked at Inoichi, amazed that the Yamanaka clan had even tried such a thing.

"You see, our techniques aren't from a bloodline, unlike the Akimichi enlargement and the Nara shadow techniques."

"Ours is just based on the ability to free your mind from its bodily shackles, something similar to lucid dreaming if you will, but on a much larger scale."

The revelations were shocking, and though Sakura didn't realize it, her eyes showed each and every bit of her amazement.

"Of course, you still need the clan secrets to be able to fully detach your mind from your body, I doubt even you could do that without a life time of training."

"But we have been trying to develop a long distance communication technique. One that only Ino and I have managed to establish so far. Maybe you could give it a try and in return help me figure out a way to allow other Yamanaka to use this as well."

Sakura's eyes lit up at the last statement, her fingers immediately crossed in a hand seal as she wordlessly created two Kage Bunshin.

"Why two?" asked Inoichi, confused as to why Sakura had created two of them.

His question was wordlessly answered when one of them sat down in the chair next to her, picked up her book and started reading, and it was only then that Inoichi realized that there were two other clones reading two other books further inside the library.

Inoichi smiled and stood up as Sakura performed the Shintenshin on the other clone, who immediately changed her appearance, and glanced at the creator.

With a wave of his hand, Yamanaka Inoichi beckoned the two girls to follow him as they headed towards the Yamanaka clan compound and their personal scrolls on psychology.

X—X—X—X—X

A couple of days full tilt from Konoha, or in Rock Lee or Gai's case, a day, the day had begun just as early for most of the nin in Suna.

Sabaku no Gaara sat in the council chambers, Nara Shikamaru at his side, ready to brief the Suna Council on the happenings of the day before.

The only problem was that some of the council members had already heard of the Konoha nin presence and were not too happy with it.

"So, you, our vaunted Kazekage, the only nin to ever come out of all of his missions unscathed, have agreed to let THEM be your bodyguards above our own?"

"For the third time, they will not be the only ones guarding Gaara." Said Temari, her voice stating her dissatisfaction at having to tell the council member the same thing over and over again.

"So you would trust foreigners over your own men?"

That was another councilor and Temari had to suppress her rage as she spoke once again.

"With due reason. Who knows how many times you have sent our own men against Gaara when he was younger?"

"Something we've done wrong and have said so many a time." Spoke the man. "But I believe that Kazekage-sama is at more risk with these Konoha nin than with our own, or have you forgotten, we did attack their village not too long ago."

"My decision has been made." Said Gaara.

Shikamaru now knew that Gaara only spoke rarely, but when he did, he was heard by the entire Suna Council.

"I will maintain my personal guard of Suna ANBU. Konoha will have one of their Shinobi with me at all times."

"What about the others?" asked the first Suna council member.

"They will be allowed full use of our facilities to train themselves while they are not on duty."

"Preposterous!" exclaimed one of the council members, a younger one this time, standing up against the decisions made.

"Kami knows what sort of mischief they could be up to!"

Sabaku no Temari sighed as she rubbed at her forehead, stealing a glance at the leader of the Konoha team who looked the more unfazed of the two.

It would be a long meeting, but in the end, the council members, though they didn't like what was happening, would agree with whatever Gaara had decided.

All she could do now was hope that the steps they were taking, both Konoha and Suna, would be enough.

X—X—X—X—X

While Shikamaru and Hisemi were gone, the three remaining Konoha nin put their own plans into action.

The three of them headed in the same direction, towards the Kazekage Tower, though each of them had different objectives in mind.

Ino wanted to meet Baki, the current head of the ANBU and Shinobi forces, someone who knew the ninja much better than Gaara. Her objective, was a Suna Kenjutsu master. If anything, Yamanaka Ino knew that her body needed to be stronger and faster. She knew that they weren't playing around anymore and that possibly, their next fight could be their last.

Chouji had gone to the tower in the hopes of finding Sabaku no Temari, the eldest of the three Suna siblings. His training in his clan techniques had gone faster than either Ino's or Shikamaru's, Chouji being fully dedicated to the cause after he had seen everyone's growth. But like everyone else in his graduate year, he wasn't happy with what skills he possessed. For him, the best way to improve himself was to go up against one of the more formidable nin in Suna, and that was why he was looking for Temari.

Heni, however, had little thought of training during the very first of their days in Suna. The young trap master was looking for Sabaku no Kankuro, the acting commander of Suna's spy network as well as the only one of the siblings that regularly left Suna on patrols into the country.

Luck seemed to be on Heni's side as the Konoha trio ran into the painted man just as he was exiting the tower.

Ino, as usual, being the one who was the friendliest of the Konoha nin, was the one who spoke to Kankuro, asking where they could find Baki and Temari.

The Suna Puppeteer had simply pointed them towards the council chambers, mentioning that the two would have to wait till the council meeting was over.

Once Ino and Chouji had left, Heni turned towards Kankuro.

"You're a puppeteer right?"

Kankuro looked at the younger Konoha nin, a curious expression adorning his face.

"Yes." He said, his face conveying the question he left unasked.

"I'm one of Konoha's few trap specialists." Heni said, extending his hand so that Kankuro could shake it. "Mind if I take a look at your puppets?"

X—X—X—X—X

Not 10 minutes after Kankuro met Heni, the two stood in Kankuro's secret puppet workshop, staring at Kankuro's three main puppets as they lay on separate work benches.

It was the first time that Kankuro had shown anyone his puppets, and to be honest, it was making him very nervous. It was the first time anyone other than the wizened old woman Chiyo had paid any attention or shown any curiosity towards his puppets and Kankuro couldn't help but wonder if this move would come to bite him in the ass sometime later.

"Did you make these puppets on your own?" asked Heni, touching Karasu's wood, careful not to trigger any of the hidden weapons mechanisms that Kankuro had embedded in it.

Sabaku no Kankuro shook his head.

"They were remnants of the army of puppets Akasuna no Sasori created. They were originally his, and I've just modified them."

"Why?" Kankuro added, finally asking the question which he had held back for the past few minutes.

"Konoha was attacked two years ago, by two S ranked members of the Akatsuki, one of whom was an missing nin from Konoha." spoke Heni, his face so serious it was as if it was set in stone.

"The other was a missing nin from the Mist, one of the Seven Swordsmen."

"With Akatsuki employing missing nin from two of the five great Shinobi villages, I think we can be safely assume that they have one from Suna as well."

Kankuro caught on to Heni's train of thought instantly.

"So, if this puppet has existed for a long time, someone who went missing after its creation could possibly know all of the puppets secrets." Continued Heni, bringing thoughts to Kankuro's mind.

"Sasori."

"What?"

"Akasuna no Sasori." Said Kankuro, looking Heni in the eyes. "He is one of the few Suna nin to have gone missing, we think him dead, it has been that long."

"But?"

There was always a but.

"He could still be alive."

"And he would know all the secrets of your puppets." Heni finished for Kankuro.

Kankuro furrowed his camo painted brows, deep in thought.

If Sasori was truly alive, and was with the Akatsuki, then with the three puppets he now possessed, Kankuro was most likely the least effective he'd ever been.

Sasori would know the puppets inside and out, know what kind of tricks it had possessed when he had left it, and which parts of it that could hold hidden secrets.

The only solution would be to create a full battle puppet on his own, something that even Sasori would have to pay attention to.

"We need to build a new one." He said finally, looking Heni in the eye.

Heni nodded before smiling at Kankuro.

"But before that, let me modify these." He said, "Sure, the puppet may be from Suna, but no one will expect it to hide some tricks from Konoha."

Not for the first time in his life, Kankuro stared at a Konoha nin before a grin broke upon his face. Somewhere in the world, someone was underestimating these Konoha nin, and for once, he was glad he wasn't the one doing it.

X—X—X—X—X

"We have an issue."

Those were the first words Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi heard the moment they joined the other Akatsuki nin on top of the statue.

"What kind of an issue?" asked Itachi, ever the curious.

"Konoha has sent a team to guard the Ichibi no Jinchuuriki." Spoke Sasori.

None of the other Akatsuki nin challenged Sasori's information, there was no need to, no one knew as much as Sasori did when it came to Suna.

"Konoha is growing bolder and bolder by the day, I see." Said Hoshigaki Kisame, his lips baring his shark fang teeth.

"It won't be long before they approach Kumo about the Hachibi and the Nibi, we must not let that happen."

"Jiraiya."

The one name the leader spoke hushed the Akatsuki into silence, yet they all understood what he was saying.

It had been that very Sannin, who had decided to take the Kyuubi no Jinchuuriki under his wing.

That very Sannin, who decided to train the Kyuubi no Jinchuuriki into a Shinobi that could stand up to them.

Itachi knew for a fact, that Jiraiya was the source of information on Akatsuki's activities. The source of information which had allowed Konoha to send a team to Suna and bolster the defences of an entire ninja village.

Now, the Akatsuki would be hard pressed to capture the Ichibi with just two members.

"Sasori, Deidara." Spoke the leader, the silence ending as the man known as Pain came up with a plan. "Leave the Ichibi for now, I want you to capture the Sanbi first."

"Hidan, Kakuzu, I want you to go after the Nibi as before, but get it done as soon as possible."

"Itachi, Kisame, I want you to find and get in touch with an old friend of ours. If Konoha is looking for allies, so shall we."

X—X—X—X—X

Nara Shikamaru stood on top of the Kazekage tower, gazing down and into the Hidden Village of Suna, his eyes taking in each and every little detail of the village.

Sabaku no Temari stood not too far away from him, her mind also going through thoughts but none similar to what the Nara was thinking as he crouched upon the railing, his hands together in a weird hand seal, one she had never seen before.

Suna was nothing like Konoha, she knew.

Konoha was the largest of all of the Shinobi villages and it seemed it as with due reason.

Konoha was a hub. A hub for a lot of the trade going in and out of the Fire Country, and as such the village resembled a hub in a lot of ways.

One of the reasons Konoha was a hub was because of its basis of clans. Clans had their own areas or districts depending upon the clans' size. This also meant that the clan had retainers, sometimes from their own clan but those who did not choose to become a Shinobi.

This meant that they needed to be fed and clothed and their needs needed to be fulfilled. That meant that Konoha needed to have an abnormally large amount of shops, restaurants and other buildings to tend to their needs.

This in the end meant that more civilians lived in Konoha, and with the civilians came more need for things.

Suna, however, was nothing like Konoha.

Suna was small, not tiny, but still smaller than Konoha, and Shikamaru found out that it was not divided into districts like Konoha was.

True, Suna did not have the clans to take care of, but even in the non clan districts, Konoha still had restrictions imposed in areas. Some areas, were only meant for residence, some others for business. But luckily for Shikamaru, Konoha also had lenient areas where land could be used for both residence and business, much like Suna and that allowed him a little insight as to where he needed the battles with Akatsuki to take place.

"Well, looks like we need to keep whatever fights out of the village."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" asked Temari, not entirely sure of what was going in Shikamaru's head.

"It means that we'll have to fight in the open."

Temari's mind set to work, immediately realizing that the lack of other shadows caused a big blow to Shikamaru's battle capabilities.

It also meant that their trap masters abilities were severely reduced as well. The boy would now have to lay traps while in plain view, and it was obvious to Temari that nin of the Akatsukis level would not fall for traps set up right in front of them.

That left a total of three more Konoha nin who could possibly fight on par with their normal levels.

The terrain wouldn't make much of a difference to the Yamanaka, her clan abilities could work anywhere, the question was, would she be strong enough?

It also wouldn't make much of a difference to the Hyuuga either and that left only one more Konoha nin.

"Well, at least Chouji doesn't have to worry about crushing anything beneath him."

Temari smiled at the obvious attempt at humor from the lazy jounin in front of her.

The Akimichi's strength was needed for this particular mission, both Shikamaru and Temari had known that.

Chouji was their only bruiser, the one capable of taking the most hits while dealing the most damage as well, whereas Hisemi was the lithe and fast killer.

The other three were mainly there for support and aid, though Temari knew that Heni was capable of fighting battles on his own too.

Temari snapped to attention as Shikamaru turned around and hopped off the railing, his hands shoved deep in his pockets again.

"Send for Ino and Chouji, and send for your brother, we need to start training."

The Konoha nin had swept past by the time Temari could come up with something to say, his head tilted upwards, his eyes gazing up into the sky.

But this particular gaze was different. It wasn't his usual lazy staring at the clouds. This one had a lot of thought and Temari knew that Shikamaru was much more aware and active than she had ever seen him.

And that sight brought to her mind one word that she realized she hadn't heard ever since he had gotten here, one word that aptly fit the sentence she was trying to come up with.

With that word on her mind and a smile upon her face, Sabaku no Temari leapt off of the Kazekage tower and down in to the city to do what he had asked of her.

Only Konoha nin would be this 'troublesome'.

X—X—X—X—X

**Guys, I really need you to do me a favor this time. And I mean all of you,**

**I need you to list down the name of your favorite Kunoichi, any village, and what you'd imagine her as if she was dark.**

**Dark as in how you have Dark Naruto and stuff.**

**Any village goes, but please, not Mei or Tsunade, or Chiyo. Too old.**

**And as usual, REVIEW!**


	38. Chapter 38: Loose Ends

**Really sorry for a late update, but this, isn't exactly what I set off to write when I thought of it…**

**My original chapter, now looks like it's going to become three separate ones, both to ease writing, and lessen the number of words per chapter. **

**And point to note, the dark kunoichi thing? It's not for this fic. It's for another one, and I need 9**

**Well, I did need 9, but I've already got a plan for Sakura, Ino, Hinata/Hanabi, Tenten, a FemHaku if I have no choices,**

still trying to work how I can get Temari to exude that vibe.

so I still need 5 kunoichi to work, people who are preferably about Naruto's age, give or take a few years. People whose characters aren't set by the time Naruto become a genin. 

**And, I know this ends in a cliffhanger, but I promise, the next chap is coming up really soon, I already have half of it written.**

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 38

The trees were passing by slower than he was used to, but Uzumaki Naruto relished the slow trek through the Fire Country. The tranquility of their route allowed both of the travellers to let their minds wander, to think and contemplate the future that lay ahead of them and there was nothing more Naruto wanted to do than go home. Their travels, after all, had brought them much closer to Konoha, than they had ever been in the past two years.

"You miss her." Came Jiraiya's voice, a simple statement that brought the younger nin out of his daydreams, a simple statement that both of them knew was true.

Naruto did indeed miss 'her', the only 'her' in his life, the one girl that he had devoted most of his Shinobi life to, the one girl he knew he would devote the rest of his life to as well.

His heart filled with warmth at the memories of their time, especially the love that she had returned even if it had been a little later, something that he was glad she had done, something that he was glad that they had shared.

"It's hard not to." He said, his arms moving up and fingers locking behind his head as he gazed up into the canopy, his face lighting up with a smile at the mere thought of her.

There were times when remembering Sakura was important, where it was the difference between him giving up or quitting, but there were also times that it made him long for her, and now that they were actually within days of Konoha, it didn't help to think of someone he had missed almost every single waking minute for roughly 6 months.

Now, he knew, was not the time to be longing for her, his time with her would come soon, provided he paid his training enough attention for there to be a future, a future that was very much at risk.

A change of terrain, from the forest and into a meadow and the disappearance of the canopy gave Naruto an epiphany that he had never thought he would get, as he found his eyes wandering from cloud to cloud.

He now understood Shikamaru's fascination with them. They were never fixed, never solid, always changing, always morphing, something that no one could plan for, no one could expect, no one could guess. He now knew why they were so interesting to the strategist, they posed him a challenge, to predict the moves of an unpredictable opponent, something so random in its moves and changes as a cloud was.

The epiphany, unfortunately, also brought to the fore of his mind, another group of clouds, this time, a group of missing nin who called themselves the Akatsuki, The Red Clouds.

A scowl formed across the young boy's forehead, his happy reminiscent mood gone and replaced with a more serious and contemplative tone as he recalled his run-ins with the Akatsuki.

It would be safe to say that he had been plagued by the members of Akatsuki since the day they had left Konoha, while in fact, they had been the major reason behind his departure. Their threat to his life, his village and the entire Shinobi world was very real and it was imperative that he be ready for their attempts to kidnap and extract his bijuu, the Kyuubi.

Interestingly enough, he'd been left alone the two years Sakura had spent with them, only one half hearted attempt by the duo that had been assigned to capture him, abandoned at the realization that two chuunin, one with the ability to tap into the Kyuubi's power, along with a legendary Sannin were too much for even two S classed missing nin.

Instead, they had made themselves busy capturing the other tailed beasts and by the time the first two years of their training had gone, the bijuu were down by four of their kind, leaving only five to be extracted.

The Akatsuki duo assigned to him returned the day Sakura had left, two days after they had taken Uchiha Sasuke's head off of his shoulders, an attempt Naruto had been worried was fueled by the death of Itachi's younger brother, but like the ones that came after, they had failed.

That had been the beginning of regular attempts, some even so bold as to attempt to take on both him and Jiraiya at the very same time. Itachi and Kisame both knew that the fact that Sakura was no longer around caused a significant decrease in the battle capability of Naruto's guard and they had meant to take full advantage of it

However, none of them had succeeded, some had even failed barely, and then, after making regular monthly attempts, the duo of Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi suddenly vanished, not a peep was seen of them or heard, according to Jiraiya's spy network.

And that, in turn, had led to the current trek they were on. Jiraiya was worried, and it showed in the silence that accompanied them on their travels. Why exactly he was worried, Naruto still didn't understand too well, but he knew that when it came to your enemy, no news was not good news. In fact, it almost always meant the exact opposite, that there was a plan being hatched.

This worry was the very reason the both of them were walking towards a small village that housed one of Jiraiya's contacts, a village that could be their last stop together for a long, long time.

The slow pace of the trek told Naruto that whatever this informant knew was important. He had been told that as well, but Jiraiya was taking the time to arrange things, in case the informant gave him an answer he didn't like.

Whatever news this man, or woman, had, Naruto's plans depended on it. It would decide whether he'd spend the next six months with Jiraiya, finishing the three years training, or if he would be sent straight to Mt Myobokuzan, to learn the sage arts from the toads themselves. It would decide, if Jiraiya's plans were good to go, or if they needed to be revised and kicked into a higher gear.

"So, do you have anything planned for when you do meet her?" asked the Sannin, a wry smile gracing his wizened aging face, thoughts of new material for his books obviously going through his lecherous mind, unknowingly breaking the contemplative mood his apprentice was in.

"Lots." Replied the younger nin, giving his sensei a smirk of his own, immediately masking all signs of any other thoughts or worries.

"But nothing you can spy on." He added with a wink, and almost burst out laughing when Jiraiya pouted like a child.

The Sannin recovered immediately, scoffing and mumbling something about how the new generation didn't have the drive that made them humans and for all his mischievousness, Naruto could only reply with a sharp retort of "pervert" before the duo relapsed back into silence, both of them enjoying each other's company, for soon they might not be able to enjoy it anymore.

A smile appeared on Naruto's face once again, his hands going into his blissful position behind his head as his eyes gazed upwards once again, studying those very clouds he hoped his friend would be at this very moment.

X—X—X—X—X

The quiet was golden, treasured especially as it allowed Naruto to concentrate on the important stuff, most of his techniques required a lot of focus to learn where one wrong move could spell days spent regenerating damaged limbs or digits, causing delays that Jiraiya would like to avoid as much as possible.

But, as they neared the village, the eerie silence, the emptiness of the streets, told him a different story, a story that almost certainly pointed to danger.

The toad sannin stopped at the very edge of the village, his hand stuffing the scroll he had been writing in, into one of the special pouches he wore, knowing with confidence that it was well on its way to Mt Myobokuzan and the toads.

Naruto stopped beside him, his eyes flitting to the buildings, his eyes perked and listening for any slight sound.

There was none and it made things worse, knowing that these signs were there for them to see. Whoever had caused this silence and emptiness had done a bad job of covering it up or hadn't bothered covering it up at all.

The former argument meant that it had been an inexperience ninja or a group of bandits, but Jiraiya knew better. This particular village was so deep inside Konoha that there would be no need for any involvement of any other Shinobi villages and Tsunade would never order a full wipe out.

Bandits, on the other hand, wouldn't bother cleaning up behind them, and as far as the toad sannin could see, there was no blood nor bodies on the street, there was neither the smell of blood nor the smell of rotting corpses.

This mess, was cleaned up, and that meant that whoever had done this was a professional.

The only question remaining was who, and why?

"Are we going in?"

The question made Jiraiya look at his apprentice, staring into the younger nins eyes before he nodded.

"There is a slight chance that our guy is still alive." He said, telling Naruto, though in not so much words, that the information the person had was essential.

Senses fully alert and with a little bit of chakra enhancement, the two nin set foot into the village, half hoping that their informant was still alive, the other half hoping that whoever had wiped this village clean wasn't waiting for them inside.

X—X—X—X—X

The village, was worse off than they had thought earlier.

Whereas Orochimaru was known to take bodies and live people to experiment on, his forces were never known to take every single person in the village.

Being criminals and missing nin, most of Orochimaru's henchmen tended to leave brutal remains, half to sate their own bloodthirst, the other to cow their prisoners into submission.

This village, however, was just the opposite, empty and deserted, not a single body, not a single drop of blood, not a single sign of a battle.

No one did a job this clean.

Jiraiya's mind whirled through the number of names and faces that could have done this, Danzo the first and foremost of names in his train of thought.

The question was, what was Danzo's interest in this particular village?

"Jiraiya-sama."

The words brought both Jiraiya and Naruto to a stop, not due to the respect that was given with the title, but more due to the voice that spoke it.

The voice that spoke, was the one voice Jiraiya had never expected to hear, the one voice that told him that it was the end of the line for a lot of things.

Sighing, the Sannin turned around to face the speaker and was greeted by a pair of dark ebony eyes, eyes he had met for a long time, until the owner had defected from the village.

"Itachi-kun." He said, as he shot the former Konoha nin a glance, careful to avoid the orbs that could instantly put him in a genjutsu like no other.

A sudden shift in Naruto's stance alerted the Sannin to the presence of Hoshigaki Kisame, neatly placed on a rooftop just a bit to the left of Itachi, a strategic distance away from his partner.

"I guess it would be useless to ask what happened to my informant."

"He went down in a blaze of glory."

The glee he felt at the death of the informant echoed in the voice of the Mist nin, something Jiraiya found odd considering Kisame was a water jutsu user.

Jiraiya forced the thought away, turning his mind to the matter at hand.

It was clear that his informant was dead, it had been said as much. That meant that Akatsuki was aware of him keeping tabs on them, which in turn told him that he needed to change his plans.

It meant that Jiraiya had to take over the espionage himself, keeping tabs on his informants, and sometimes getting the information himself, and that meant that Naruto needed to go to Mt Myobokuzan and into his last step of training, prematurely.

The Toad Sannin turned around, his senses enhanced and aware as he made to leave.

He only managed to get a few steps forward before he felt three more chakra signatures, closer than they shoud be.

Jiraiya cursed himself under his breath for his carelessness, for not being as aware as to feel the signatures as they approached, especially as familiar as the larger one was.

"Orochimaru."

The growl was quiet, but it sparked a rage inside Jiraiya that he had kept suppressed for a long time.

"This isn't a capture attempt, is it?"

He asked Itachi as he turned around, glaring into the Uchiha's eyes with a hatred.

Itachi closed his eyes and shook his head, no attempt to activate his Mangekyo, no attempt to catch Jiraiya in a Tsukuyomi.

The wheels inside Jiraiya's head started turning again, as he analyzed the happenings of the past month.

The attacks had stopped, not long after Jiraiya had last met Tsunade. That would be the same timeframe as the Konoha team arriving in Suna.

Not only had the attacks on Naruto stopped, the attempt that was supposed to happen on Gaara, hadn't happened either. And that left only one possible answer.

Someone in Suna had informed them of the team's arrival, and that, in turn, had told them just how much of their activities Jiraiya knew.

Uchiha Itachi was simply tying up loose ends, ends that could end up foiling Akatsuki's plans, plans that they had set in motion for almost a decade, and if he were Uchiha Itachi, Jiraiya knew that there was only one more loose end to tie.

Him.

X—X—X—X—X

"Go."

The word was spoken softly, yet he heard it.

"What?"

"Naruto, go."

There it was again, that word, asking him to leave, asking him to abandon his teacher of almost three years.

"We can take them."

"It is best you leave, Naruto-kun. There is no reason for both of you to die today."

The berserker rage exploded inside the blonde and his body was moving before he knew it, the red mist engulfing him as he dashed towards Itachi.

His periphery told him Jiraiya was moving too, and Naruto knew that it was towards him, to stop him, but it was Kisame who got there first.

The slice came at chest height, but it came slower than he had expected it to.

Relishing in the power that Kyuubi gave him, the blond ducked under the blade, dismissing the torn chakra cloak he wore, fully focused on the second Uchiha prize in front of him.

It was only when Itachi moved, that he realized how easy Kisame had been, as if he was allowing Naruto to pass, leading him into a trap, but it was already too late.

All it took was the split second of hesitation on Naruto's part to allow Itachi to step in front of him, sharingan orbs whirling.

Next thing he knew, they were in his mindscape, in front of the Kyuubi's cage, Itachi staring deep into the red eyes of the Kyuubi itself.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, I can't allow you to use him this time."

Pain, like he had never felt ripped through Naruto's abdomen as he was propelled out of his mindscape, all senses of his Kyuubi chakra vanishing, his strength immediately leaving him.

Naruto was lucky. He knew he was lucky, when he felt Kisame towering up above him, ready to land the blow that would disable him, knock him out and allow them to finally capture him. He knew he was lucky when a familiar blue orb smashed into the nin from the side, forcing the swordsman to replace himself with a nearby log.

X—X—X—X—X

Jiraiya cursed his luck as he blew the log into pieces.

Of course Naruto would try to attack Itachi, he hadn't felt Orochimaru approaching, his scanning skills were not that good yet.

Now, it was up to Jiraiya to protect both of them, and if Orochimaru and his henchmen turn up, things would get a lot harder for him.

"Are you okay?" he asked his apprentice, who was struggling to lift himself back on to his feet.

"I can't feel the Kyuubi."

"The magic of the Sharingan, it can suppress demons. You need to leave, now, you're of no help to me in that state."

Jiraiya knew the words would cut deep into the boy, to be told that he was no help, for him to realize that his rash actions had put them into a worse spot than before.

"I'm not leaving you."

"Then we'll both die here. The Akatsuki will not only kill a Sannin, but they will also extract the Kyuubi, killing you and coming one step closer to the completion of their plan. This world will cease to remain as it is now."

The silence that came from the boy told him that his words had struck true.

"Orochimaru is on his way."

Jiraiya didn't see it, but he felt Naruto's head whip up towards him.

"One of us, isn't making it out of this alive and I know for a fact that I'm their priority, they, wouldn't give you this much room if it were you they were after."

Naruto hesitated, and Jiraiya knew it was because he had told him about Orochimaru.

"Go. Get to Konoha, summon Pa and ask him to train you in the sage arts. It's the final step in the plan. Tell Tsunade that there has to be a Kage Summit, one village cannot hold the Akatsuki on their own, not when they have Orochimaru's help."

The blond boy stood up, half knowing what his teacher was saying was true, half still not wanting to leave him to die.

"Go. You're the only way I can get this message to Tsunade. Go and I promise they won't chase you."

The blond boy nodded and Jiraiya smiled, a smile that showed the love he had for his apprentice, the one he had spent a good measure of the last past years catching up with.

Jiraiya still wished he had more time, still wished he had gone back to Konoha sooner, wished he had started training Naruto sooner.

A slight gust of wind told him Naruto was moving, the familiar blond mop of hair moving past him and the Akatsuki duo, tears streaming down his face at his helplessness.

Jiraiya felt for the boy, but knew that it was the only way. Only Naruto was strong enough, had enough charisma to lead the rest of Konoha and any other Shinobi against Akatsuki.

Without Naruto, without the Kyuubi, there was no hope.

There was a rustle of a scroll as Itachi unfurled a map of the village, a map Jiraiya didn't know even existed, just as Orochimaru and his henchmen landed in front of him.

Channelling his chakra for his last and final battle, Jiraiya of the Sannin stared at his opponents, with only one thought in his mind.

If he was going down, he wasn't going down without a fight, and if he could, he'd take one of them with him.

X—X—X—X—X

**Please note, that the continuation is coming up very soon, maybe not today, but very soon.**

**REVIEW! Please.**


	39. Chapter 39

**Hey, **

**Sorry it took really long for me to update this, but I had a family crisis with my grandmother dying, specially since it's her I live with and have honestly not been in a writing mood since.**

**CzarAndrew, you know, I actually like that Kurotsuchi advice, I think I'll take it. **

**For those who are pointing out Sakura's Mokuton, yes she can use it, but it will not be to the extent the Shodaime could. She doesn't have the bloodline required for that.**

**It's just that her being able to use a little of it, could come quite useful if Naruto loses control.**

**All forms of fluff, trust me, I have a lot in store for Shan. And you might even love what I do with her. A little too soon to pull the rabbit out of the hat though.**

**And, with almost all the important questions answered, on with the story. **

X—X—X—X—X

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 39

The trees whizzed by Uzumaki Naruto as he ran, tears streaming down his face, ignoring the flashes of green that passed him.

The ache in his chest was unlike anything he had felt before, as if all of his well trained muscles were contracting, squeezing his heart in a death grip.

He felt nothing else.

Nothing, but the pain that echoed from the depths of his heart and deep into his soul.

Memories of his travels with Jiraiya assaulted his mind as he ran, ran like he had never run before.

The happy times they had had, the tough times they had had, the countless odd jobs they had undertaken, the bounties they had collected.

The pervert had been one of his most precious people in life.

One of the very few that had accepted him for who he was.

One of the very few that had actually built him into the person and the Shinobi he was.

One of the very few he had ever actually told how much they meant to him.

One of the very few he had ever showed it to.

One of the only two he had lost after having.

The only one he felt he could have saved, if he had thought better, if he hadn't made that rash charge towards Itachi.

If only he still had the Kyuubi chakra, then maybe, just maybe, he could have saved him.

Releasing a furious roar of frustration with himself, the blond smashed a good chunk of bark out of a tree, toppling it as he went past.

The ground shook violently as it crashed through the smaller trees and shrubbery and Naruto found himself wondering if it was him that did that.

Jumping to the top of the canopy, Naruto found himself looking around searching for something that was large enough to cause a slight earthquake.

What he saw, didn't make his mood any better.

The barrier, for the large gate that had appeared in the middle of the forest and the dome that erupted from it could only be a barrier, surrounded the entire village and a portion of the forest beyond it.

With the sight of the barrier, came one of the worst pangs of pain he had felt.

As he had ran, Naruto had hoped, somewhere deep within him, that Jiraiya would be able to make it out somehow, using his unnatural cunning and wile.

Whatever hope he had of that had now vanished along with the barrier's erection around the village.

Naruto cursed at himself as he leapt down into the forest and ran once again, this time towards Konoha itself.

Cursed at himself for being so stupid, cursed at himself for letting his emotions cloud his judgment, for letting himself get distracted.

Jiraiya had told him to go to Konoha, told to go deliver a message to Tsunade.

Jiraiya's last order.

And here he was, all emotional and disrespecting the sacrifice the Sannin had made in order to buy him some time, time that could be very valuable indeed.

Once Jiraiya was dead, they would chase him, if they weren't chasing him already.

Orochimaru already had bad blood with him, for the death of his precious Uchiha, and he was also the one with countless numbers of henchmen and there was a very good chance that they were already close by.

Uzumaki Naruto steeled himself as he continued his run.

He had been told to go to Tsunade. To deliver a message.

And he would do that.

Even if it killed him.

The mourning, and the guilt, could come later.

And if any of Orochimaru's henchmen did catch up before he reached Konoha, then, he would take out all his anger and pain on them.

X—X—X—X—X

The barrier, when it came up, impressed Jiraiya to an extent he never thought possible.

The barrier was made of a purple forcefield, similar to what all the other entrapment barriers he had seen used.

However, unlike all other entrapment barriers, the major difference of the technique was the four gates that the dome originated off.

For one thing, these gates were summoned instead of actually built, that meant either a contract or a really large amount of chakra in the case of it being considered a ninjutsu.

It also meant that this technique was mobile, able to be used at almost any time, at will, unlike most barriers which had to be channeled and time taken to be formed.

The gates reminded him of Orochimaru's Rashomon summon, a defensive technique that was almost impenetrable, and if the appearances of the gates that had appeared were anything to go by, Jiraiya knew that

The map that Itachi had unfurled, seemed to be the key as the only thing it surrounded was what he had laid out in detail on the scroll.

Jiraiya assumed that the terrain Itachi had mapped out had to remain as in the scroll until the invocation of the barrier or the technique wouldn't have worked. It explained the reason the village had remained intact and without any signs of being damaged.

It also gave him a sense of relief knowing that this technique indeed had its flaws, and was harder to use than previously thought.

He had had no clue a barrier such as this existed, and for Akatsuki to be in possession of such a jutsu let alone use it against him, told him how much of a threat they were, and how much of a threat to them he was considered as well.

What intrigued him even more was the two pieces of paper Itachi threw at Orochimaru's henchmen as soon as the Kekkaimon Gofuujutsu: Hachimon Heijou (Barrier Defence Seal Technique: Eight Gates Castle Closing) came up.

"Go. Keep those seals on you or you'll burn when you hit the barrier."

If it were not for his company, in particular, who his company was, Jiraiya knew he'd have been fawning all over at the genius of the technique.

If anything, it was one step over the four prism barrier Orochimaru and his henchmen used during the attempted invasion of Konoha.

"And don't mix them up."

The whistle came out before he knew it, but Jiraiya shrugged it off as intended, watching the two henchmen with a sense of disappointment as they headed towards the barrier, and soon, towards Naruto himself.

Shaking his thoughts off of the boy, Jiraiya turned to Itachi, his concentration back onto the barrier jutsu he had used.

"Person specific seals to get out of the area so that you can be sure I stay in. I'm honored. You must consider me a really big threat, considering you've brought him to help as well."

"Admittedly, Jiraiya-sama, you are our biggest threat currently. Your apprentice, would be the second biggest threat, with the strength he's amassing with his training."

"My men will take care of Naruto-kun."

The anger in Orochimaru's voice at the pure mention of Naruto was surprising and Jiraiya knew, that this was the key to possibly winning if not surviving this particular battle.

"Naruto is much stronger than he was last time you met, Orochimaru, it would be best not to underestimate him."

"You mean the time he killed my precious Sasuke-kun?"

So that was what was behind all the anger. Orochimaru seriously blamed Naruto for Sasuke's death, and not Sakura who had actually fought Orochimaru's precious pair of eyes.

The slight flick of Itachi's eyes did not miss the eyes of Jiraiya, more thoughts probing through his conscience, his mind working overtime to put together a plan to disrupt whatever teamwork the three opponents would have.

Did Itachi not know of Sasuke's death or who killed him?

"Was that the brat?"

All three heads towards Hoshigaki Kisame as the sharkman laughed out loud.

"I thought your 'precious' pair of Uchiha eyes were stolen by a girl."

Jiraiya grimaced at the banter between the Akatsuki nin and the Snake Sannin. It was obvious that they still shared no love for each other, which was good for him, but this also stopped him from being able to taunt and gaud Orochimaru with the fact that Naruto was close and getting farther away, now that Kisame had said it was Sakura.

"Sasuke lacked the strength needed to defeat Sakura-san, his death, was simply the end result."

So Itachi knew as well. Not only did he know of Sasuke's death, but he also knew who had actually killed him.

Jiraiya focused his gaze on Orochimaru, knowing that the Snake Sannin was seething at the statements of the Akatsuki nin.

But he was here, alongside someone he had tried to kill not too long ago.

Why?

What had the Akatsuki offered him in return for his assistance in killing Jiraiya?

Did the deal even end at that point?

"4 students, I've lost to that boy and his pink haired friend."

Girlfriend, Jiraiya added mentally, but he wouldn't say it. Jiraiya knew how desperate Akatsuki now was, having to resort to depend on Orochimaru for the strength to kill him. He wasn't about to give them any information they could put to use.

"6, if you count the two you just sent after Naruto."

The addition was a ploy. A ploy that Jiraiya hoped would work to cause Orochimaru to attack him, to finally start of the battle that he had been postponing.

The Toad Sannin honed his senses, waiting for the telltale vibration that the fight was beginning, waiting for the signal that told him he could go all out on those who faced him.

"But it is worth what I will be taking from them."

Jiraiya moved the second he felt the vibration, leaping off and into the air, a place where he would be vulnerable and would hopefully lure one of the other nin into attacking him.

The Snake burst out from the ground the moment Orochimaru finished his sentence, all according to plan.

"Don't think it will be that easy to kill me, Orochimaru."

The sentence was heartfelt and Jiraiya had no intentions of going down at all, yet the words brought about its desired effect as he felt the air behind him shift as Hoshigaki Kisame appeared, Samehada swung back for a blow.

"But it seems like you underestimated us."

The sword came in from behind, with more speed than Jiraiya thought it had, slamming straight into his midriff, ripping through flesh and blood before it came to a stop, halfway into the Toad Sannin's body or what the Akatsuki thought his body to be.

"People assume, that when you teach someone, it is the students who learn everything."

Spoke the Toad Sannin as he turned around to face a very surprised Kisame, his mud clone body forming around the sword, holding it in place.

"But the best students end up teaching the teachers as well. This little technique, I picked up from the girl."

Jiraiya immediately searched his jutsu library for something his clone could pull off with the rapidly diminishing little chakra he had, knowing there should be at least one jutsu that would bring about the desired effect of removing Hoshigaki Kisame from the battle, even temporarily.

One of his earlier meetings with Kisame had shown him that Samehada was not a weapon meant for slicing or stabbing, but more meant for shaving bits and pieces off of people.

But this chakra siphoning ability had never come to light, most possibly because they had not fought much that day or ever.

Ditching his original plan of smashing a more condensed Rasengan into Kisame's chest, the mud clone of the Sannin put his hands in a seal, reciting out, "Bunshin Bakuha.", sacrificing itself to temporarily remove one of the enemy from the close reaches of the battle.

If only the barrier was somewhere close, maybe he'd have felt a little more satisfaction watching Kisame burn. But then again, Jiraiya also knew that it could have possibly been him that was burning, and that, didn't seem like a good end at all.

The explosion from the clone was smaller than Jiraiya had expected it to be, yet he knew, with the clones memories, that it had been low on chakra. This meant that Kisame would land much closer to where they were, and that he wouldn't be as hurt as he could have been in any other circumstance.

Pressing his lips together, Jiraiya stepped out from the shadow of a building, his eyes and ears sharpened, waiting for the signal.

A slithering sound was all he needed to hear, telling him his makeshift plans second step had come into play. Taking one step backward, Jiraiya jumped into the large cloud of dust the explosion had created, neatly jumping off using the onrushing snakes head as a footstone, his hand seals already finished as he moved over and past the poor summon.

The Kuchiyose: Yatai Kuzushi no Jutsu took effect instantly, without the need of a call, and the kill team sent to dispose of Jiraiya found themselves temporarily two members short while Jiraiya found himself a little aid in the form of Gamahiro.

A manic grin on his face and nothing else to hold him back, Jiraiya raced towards Orochimaru, vowing to take at least one of them before he died.

X—X—X—X—X

The trees rushed past Tayuya and Kidoumaru as they ran full tilt towards their foe, the one person that they both knew had been behind the deaths of three members of their Sound Five, and though they had not liked him, Uchiha Sasuke as well.

To say revenge was foremost on their mind would be no lie at all.

The anger she felt towards Uzumaki Naruto was overwhelming, and she felt herself losing control over her curse as she began to sense his presence the closer she got.

Letting her curse mark take over her, the rage seething into her, Tayuya put her lips to her flute, summoning her Doki as she ran, the anger flowing through her music and into her Doki, giving them the

Her melody playing, Tayuya nodded to Kidoumaru to go faster, knowing that her genjutsu would be affecting their prey even as they ran, time was of the essence.

They had to get to him and kill him, before they ran into a Konoha Jounin patrol or worse.

X—X—X—X—X

Uchiha Itachi stood shocked for a few seconds as he watched his target, the man he was supposed to dispose of, literally demolish his team in the beginning of the entire battle.

He had watched as Kisame was blown away, by a totally unexpected, unorthodox move by one of the most dangerous Shinobi on earth and considered his partner very lucky not to have died.

Orochimaru's summon had disappeared shortly afterwards, crushed by a large toad and Itachi found himself moving towards the Snake Sannin, desperate to save him from whatever Jiraiya had in store.

Itachi knew that the tables, though it was temporary, had been turned and that it would only get worse for them if Jiraiya managed to push his advantage.

Whatever he did, Itachi knew he could not afford to let himself nor Orochimaru be taken out of the fight, for even the slightest of moments.

If he did, Jiraiya would get away and Akatsuki would be down three vital members.

X—X—X—X—X

They had made good time on Uzumaki.

Half of it obviously had to do with Tayuya's area of effect Genjutsu, but, it was only in stories like these that he expected the enemy to fall for things like this.

Held in the grip of despair, the loss of losing a friend, Uzumaki Naruto had not been paying any attention to his surroundings, nor had he expected them to follow him.

The genjutsu had fallen upon him silently, and not too far from him, half of the duo responsible for a lot of the Sound Five's deaths stood unmoving, ready to receive his punishment, his death.

Tayuya's doki appeared just above Uzumaki, arm reared back, that massive club ready to whip down.

The blow came fast and sudden, the club brutally swung downwards, hitting the blond boy that stood transfixed, shattering the branch he stood on in one clean swing.

The glee in watching the death of his nemesis almost caused Kidoumaru to laugh, the elation at their success sending him to cloud nine, but his happiness died halfway in his throat as the Doki that had crushed him was blown away by a blue orb of chakra.

Kidoumaru heard Tayuya scream as her strongest Doki was dispelled, the blow dispelling it from this dimension and Kidoumaru knew that the game was afoot.

Melding into the shadows, Kidoumaru let the second stage of his seal take over, subconsciously forming his gigantic bow as he kept an eye on the plague that was their opponent.

Bow strung, golden arrow notched, Kidoumaru opened his third eye, taking aim at the blond mop of hair that was dodging and weaving between Tayuya's remaining Doki.

He would wait, wait for a clear opportunity before he would end the game with one shot.

One shot was all he would need.

One shot and it would be all Game Over.

X—X—X—X—X

Yes, he had expected a chasing party.

Yes, he had even planned for one, sending Kage Bunshin in a neat spread hoping to evade whatever nin that came after them.

However, an area of effect Genjutsu was the last thing he expected, and he had found himself as well as all the other Kage Bunshin caught in the jutsu.

Uzumaki Naruto, had survived twice, that very day, out of pure luck.

The first one could be argued, Itachi, seemingly hadn't wanted to try and kill him.

But this time, he had only survived because they had gone after the wrong Naruto.

The dispel came quickly enough, but his dead clone's memories told him that even his dispel might have been a little too late to save him, the club had already swung halfway.

A choice Kawarimi with another clone nearby the dead one had allowed Naruto to shunshin straight into the battle, slamming a Rasengan into the lead monstrosity that only Orochimaru could have sent after him, only for it to vanish in a puff of smoke

Kage Bunshin?

A scream originated nearby and Naruto jumped purely on instinct, watching as another monstrosity crashed through the foliage, slowing down as the music that had been playing stopped.

The music. Of course!

The urge to slap himself on his forehead vanished as the music played once again, a fast paced melody and Naruto reinforced his impressions about the monster.

It was obviously a summon technique, they were the only ones that could be controlled with music, much less vanish in smoke when hit with a normally fatal technique.

There were two of the summons left, each of them fast, each of them deadly enough to keep him occupied from going after the summoner.

As he dodged and weaved in between the two remaining monstrosities, Naruto caught sight of a pink haired woman already in the level 2 curse seal, holding a flute to her lips and immediately knew that she was the one behind the jutsu.

The flute, and the music, since it controlled the two monstrosities, was also a very likely source of the area of effect genjutsu, a genjutsu that affects everyone who hears the music.

But that left the issue of her partner.

For one, Orochimaru was never one to send just one henchmen, specially not after he had lost his precious Sasuke-kun.

Secondly, the woman in front of him was a mid to long range combatant, that meant she'd never be sent alone into battle, even with her close combat summons alongside her.

So, where was this partner?

Hiding a smirk, Uzumaki Naruto set about attacking the woman in a faked frenzy, one he hoped was convincing enough to tell whoever was hiding that he hadn't even thought of a second nin.

That he was too caught up in his grief to think straight.

That one moment, would be the moment he finished this chase once and for all.

X—X—X—X—X

For Jiraiya, this was one of the toughest, yet easiest battles he had had in his entire life.

First and foremost there was Orochimaru, his once team mate, one of the three that shared the title of Sannin alongside Jiraiya himself.

Second was a Konoha born prodigy, Uchiha Itachi, the man who had massacred his entire clan except his brother.

This feat, wouldn't honestly be considered much, had it not been for who the clan had been, had it not been for the fact that the clan was also the wielders of one of the strongest Doujutsu, the Sharingan.

The man, the last standing member of the Uchiha, Itachi, possessed one of the strongest manifestations of the Sharingan, and he would be no easy opponent either.

Third, thought temporarily removed, was Hoshigaki Kisame, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, the old bodyguards of the Mizukage himself, and even amongst them, Kisame was known.

The bingo books called him the Tailless Tailed Beast, making him an equivalent to one of the legendary chakra beasts that were now hunted by the Akatsuki, and that was not a name easily attained.

But, for Jiraiya, this battle, was easier than any of his previous ones.

He had nothing to lose. Not even his life. He would die anyways, unless he was able to kill all three of his opponents.

He had no one else to protect, Naruto being long gone from the scene.

He could make mistakes, he could be reckless and that, Jiraiya had decided, that was what he was going to do.

He had nothing to worry about, nothing to think about except the people in front of him.

He had nothing to do, but to enjoy the last few moments of his life.

And that was exactly what he was going to do.

Have fun.

X—X—X—X—X

Kidoumaru stared down the barrel of his gun, or in this case, down the shaft of his arrow as he waited for the opportune moment to loosen it.

It had to be perfect or else he wouldn't get the kill, and the kill, was what was most important right now.

But, he hadn't expected for the blonde brat to make it this hard for him.

He was a master of archery, having spent many a day in his secondary curse seal form, practicing with live targets as they ran, and never, had they been as good as his target in front of him was.

The boy's positional sense was unmatched, each and every single move the brat made, took him too close to either one of Tayuya's summons or Tayuya herself for Kidoumaru to be able to hit his target.

The boy's speed was also one of the factors that he was having issues with. He had never seen such fluidity in anyone's movements, nor such randomness.

Kidoumaru now knew that his arrow, would be the end game one way or another.

If he managed to hit the brat that had killed his team mates, then, Tayuya would finish the job.

But also, if he missed, It would mean that Kidoumaru would be the one under attack next, and with what he assumed from the brat's movements, he wouldn't last long.

Kidoumaru's heart pumped as he took in a long breath to calm himself down.

One arrow was all he had and he couldn't afford to mess it up at all.

X—X—X—X—X

To say that Naruto was getting bored would have been one of the worst assumptions to make as the fight progressed.

He wasn't getting bored, but he was also tired of waiting around for the second Oto nin to show himself.

If he kept dodging the Doki's attempts to hit him any longer, then he ran the risk of showing that he was baiting them.

And if they knew that he was on to them, then that would only serve to make things harder for him.

The last thing he wanted, was to waste time with these two, and risk the Akatsuki actually catching up to him.

Without the Kyuubi's help, even he knew he would have a tough time against two S ranked nin.

Dodging another blow from a Doki, Uzumaki Naruto steeled himself as he ran forwards, straight at the red haired woman in front of him.

She was going to die, and then, he would focus on whoever that was left.

X—X—X—X—X

The gaki was good.

The dispel of her strongest summon had told her that.

Especially since he was supposed to be under her genjutsu at that time as well.

That only meant one thing. That this kid, had dispelled it, and still been fast enough to turn the tables on his opponent.

Not only that, the blond had also managed to keep avoiding the blows of her other two Doki, as if he was just playing around with them.

It had gone on for a little while, a little while too long, and she was suspicious of his doings.

He had been decisive, taking out her first Doki.

Why, had he then not taken out the other two?

Was he not strong enough? Not fast enough?

Or, did he know about Kidoumaru?

If he did, Tayuya knew that things would change a lot. Kidoumaru assumed that their opponent knew nothing of him, not even the fact that he was around and that was what he was betting on as well.

But, if this kid did know about her partner, even as little as the fact that there were two of them instead of it being just her, then, the element of surprise was gone.

Was he waiting for her partner to show himself?

Was he trying to lure Kidoumaru into taking a pot shot at him, and then find out his location?

The appearance of a second blond brat brought Tayuya back to reality, as it took off straight towards her, dodging and weaving all the attempts her Doki made to take him out.

Jumping backwards, her flute never leaving her lips, her Doki still trying to land hits on the evasive blond nin that was their target, Tayuya found herself wondering where on earth Kidoumaru was.

Uzumaki already had the speed advantage on her Doki, and it was apparent that he was much more of a close ranged fighter than she was.

If she wanted to survive, she needed to keep her distance, and that in itself was tough.

Yet, the one best way to take out Uzumaki, was if she played the part of bait well enough.

Swallowing any sort of pride she had, Tayuya held her ground, playing the riskiest game she had in years.

X—X—X—X—X

The appearance of the second blond brat was the worst thing that could have happened in that situation for Kidoumaru.

Now, not only was their gamble at much risk, Kidoumaru now could not differentiate between the original and the clone.

But the four armed man knew one thing.

The game was over for them, if he allowed the Konoha nin to get to Tayuya at all.

Neither of them were close ranged, and with the clone ability of his, the brat was the worst opponent Kidoumaru could face alone.

Notching an arrow to his bone, Kidoumaru tracked the blond shape that was running towards Tayuya.

Chances were that this was not the real blond, but he couldn't take a chance.

He needed to save Tayuya, and with a heavy sigh, Kidoumaru released his arrow.

X—X—X—X—X

The last thing Naruto had expected was an arrow to come hurtling out of the woods but it was the exact thing that happened and this arrow, found itself lodged in his clones head.

The clone dispelled and the pieces of the puzzle fell in place for Naruto.

It was an ambush.

Not because he was feared, but because none of his opponents had close range capabilities.

The Doki were their only form of defense, and it was quite apparent that they couldn't keep up with him.

Jumping away from the two remaining summons, Uzumaki Naruto put his hands together in a familiar seal, calling forth a dozen or more clones.

There was one way to quickly flush out any long ranged opponents, and that was to rush them head on.

There were only two Doki, and they would soon be too busy to make any difference.

As his clones ran off in the general direction of where the arrow had come from, Naruto focused his attention on the woman nearby him.

Time was of the essence to him, and he decided he had had enough of playing about with them.

Now, was time to finish it once and for all.

X—X—X—X—X

To say that Orochimaru had fought Jiraiya many a time would not be a lie.

Once team mates, they had been the main sparring partners in the team, Tsunade having chosen to become more of a medic than an actual combatant, and they had fought more than he could remember.

It had continued after Orochimaru had abandoned Konoha, and it had happened again, recently, when he had tried to convince Tsunade to heal his arms.

Yet, the man he fought now, was nothing like who he had fought just a couple of years ago.

The combinations of his jutsu, the fluidity and the speed at which he made his movements took Orochimaru by surprise more than anybody else.

Surely this could not be just because Jiraiya's back was against the wall.

It had been like that many a time when they had fought, hadn't it?

If so, then was this really because of his students?

Was it true that the master could also learn from the disciple as well?

The appearance of a Jiraiya clone told Orochimaru that he couldn't afford to think of anything else right now.

Thinking fast, Orochimaru's hands flew through seals just before spikes of earth ripped through the ground on which Jiraiya and his clone stood.

Jiraiya, however, managed to evade it by having his clone propel him up into the air, where one more clone appeared.

Orochimaru grimaced at the dodge, summoning the snake inside his throat and his sword, Kusanagi, along with it.

Promises had been made between him and Akatsuki, for the sole objective of taking down this pain in his side that was Jiraiya.

Gripping the sword in his mouth, his hands free for any jutsu he would need to perform, Orochimaru steadied himself as another clone propelled Jiraiya downwards toward him.

Jiraiya was tough, specially with the tricks he had picked up recently, and Orochimaru now understood why he was that much of a threat to even an S ranked criminal group such as the Akatsuki.

Jiraiya needed to die, and Orochimaru vowed to himself that he would be the one to do it this very day.

X—X—X—X—X

The Toad Sannin smirked to himself as the Sword of Kusanagi came out of its hiding place.

It didn't matter that Orochimaru was pulling out all stops against him, it in fact, only helped Jiraiya's ultimate plan that Orochimaru was holding his ground against an onrushing Jiraiya.

Hands flying through two sets of seals, a jutsu for each, Jiraiya watched with satisfaction as the genjutsu fell around his hands, showing him preparing a Rasengan in them as he flew downwards.

Mimicking the actions, Jiraiya actually thrust his hand out towards it.

Orochimaru wouldn't pit Kusanagi against a Rasengan, and would jump away, and that, was exactly what Jiraiya was counting on.

Right on cue, the Snake Sannin jumped off of the roof, and Jiraiya curled his hand into a fist, smashing through the roof and into the house below.

The roof broke his fall, and Jiraiya managed to land softly, his palm touching the floor of the house, the symbols for the summoning he had performed, spreading from his hand.

The form of Gamaken smashed up and through what remained of the roof and towards Orochimaru, who wasn't expecting what had just happened.

Jiraiya flew through another set of handseals as he disappeared from the battle for some quiet time.

Standing still in the shadows, Jiraiya started to gather the natural energy from his surroundings, hoping to perform the summoning for both Ma and Pa before the Akatsuki caught on to his plan.

He only needed a few minutes, and he hoped that both Gamahiro and Gamaken managed to do that without fail.

X—X—X—X—X

**This chapter, is honestly getting a little too long to put up as just one chapter.**

**So, what I'm going to do is divide this into two**

**I'm sorry it has taken me so long to upload this, I really am.**

**But let me know what you think of it, and review for me.**


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